Artwork preview

Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The sword guard, or Tsuba, by an unknown artist, features a bronze-colored metal base with rounded edges and a curved shape. A large oval hole on the left side, a smaller keyhole-shaped hole in the center. On the right side, a crane is standing on a wooden platform, surrounded by reeds. The top right displays hanging branches with leaves. The background of the guard depicts water.

Artwork Details

Date
late 18th–early 19th century
Medium
Brass, gold, silver, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), copper
Culture
Japanese
Dimensions
600 × 600 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette