Artwork preview

Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image shows a circular object with a dark brown or black metal composition. The object is a sword guard. The circular shape has a scalloped edge. Inside the circle, there are intricate designs that include leaves, vines, and bamboo. The center contains a large, dark metal piece with a rectangular shape that has a pointed top and a rounded bottom; it has a vertical slit. The background of the image is a plain off-white color.

Artwork details

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