Artwork preview

Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dark brown sword guard with rounded edges and a smooth surface. The guard has an oval-shaped hole on the left side and a long, narrow, teardrop-shaped hole in the center. A bird with a dark body, light-colored beak, and dark tail is perched on a plant with yellow flowers. A large leaf shape is on the right. The background of the image is white.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 1615–1868
Medium
Iron, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), copper
Culture
Japanese
Dimensions
600 × 600 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette