Artwork preview

Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>)

Mino school

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sword guard made of dark metal with gold inlays. The guard has a rounded rectangular shape with curved protrusions on all four sides. There are four cutouts: one large oval in the center, and three smaller shapes on the left, right, and bottom. The top has no cutout. The metal is dark gray or black. Gold inlays form a floral pattern around the edges, featuring flowers and leaves. The background of the image is light grey.

Artwork details

Date:
late 17th–early 18th century
Medium:
Copper-gold alloy (probably <i>shakudō</i>), gold
Culture:
Japanese
Dimensions:
600 × 600 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette