Artwork preview

Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Round metal object with a dark brown and reddish rusty patina. The object is a sword guard, also known as a tsuba. It has an oval shape with a large central oval hole and six smaller irregularly shaped holes around it. The metal appears to be thick and rough, with visible signs of wear and corrosion. The background of the image is a plain light gray color.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 3rd century–538
Medium
Iron
Culture
Japanese
Dimensions
600 × 600 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette