Artwork preview

Pair of Sword-Grip Ornaments (Menuki)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Golden pair of ornaments in the shape of birds. The top bird is larger and faces left. The bottom bird faces right. Both have engraved feathers, engraved eyes, and a protruding head. The birds have a long tail and long thin wings. They are on a light gray background.

Artwork details

Date:
18th century
Medium:
Copper, gold, copper-gold alloy (shakudō)
Culture:
Japanese
Dimensions:
600 × 480 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette