Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Guo Jù (郭巨図鐔)

This tsuba is a Japanese sword guard. It has a dark brown patina with gold inlays. It has an oval shape with a distinctive outline resembling a scalloped edge. A large oval-shaped hole in the center with a narrower top and wider bottom. Two rounded rectangular holes on either side. The surface is decorated with a scene depicting a man and a woman. The man carries an object on his back while the woman holds an object. Several conical thatched-roof huts are visible. Chrysanthemums and chrysanthemum leaves are scattered throughout. The gold inlays create intricate details including texture on the clothing, huts, and flowers. The background is flat and unadorned. The color palette consists mainly of dark brown and gold with slight variations in shading on the metal. The tsuba sits on a white background.