Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Biting Lion Heads (<i>Shikami</i>) and Arabesques (獅噛唐草図南蛮鐔)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Round, flat object with a dark brown color and gold designs. The object has a circular shape with a cutout in the middle that resembles a sword guard. The cutout is shaped like a rounded triangle with a small circle at the top. There are two curved cutouts on either side of the triangle. The object features gold etchings that form intricate patterns, including swirling lines and shapes. The gold etchings depict two lion heads on either side of the triangle cutout; the lion heads are biting. The background of the image is gray.