Artwork preview

Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

This sword guard, or tsuba, made by an unknown artist, is a circular piece of metal with a dark brown color and a rough texture. The metal appears to be worn and rusted. There are two holes in the center, one teardrop-shaped and the other oval. A decorative design is etched into the metal on the left side. The background of the image is a plain light gray color.

Artwork details

Date:
18th century
Medium:
Iron, gold, silver, copper
Culture:
Japanese
Dimensions:
600 × 600 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette