Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image depicts a dark brown, oval-shaped metal object with a central hole and two smaller holes; the object is a sword guard. The central hole is shaped like a long, narrow triangle with rounded edges and a copper-colored base. Two small holes are positioned on either side of the central hole near the bottom. The top of the object features a decorative element resembling a dragonfly with gold accents on its body. The dragonfly's body is black with gold spots and has two wings on either side. The background of the image is white. The style suggests it is a Tsuba, specifically "Sword Guard (Tsuba)" by the artist.