Artwork preview

Pair of Sword-Grip Ornaments (Menuki)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pair of Sword-Grip Ornaments (Menuki) by artist. Two gold-colored insect-shaped objects, resembling grasshoppers, laid side by side on a gray background. The top one faces left and the bottom one faces right. Each has a large head, thorax, abdomen, six legs, two large wings, and two antennae. The objects have detailed engravings to resemble insect body parts. They are shiny and reflective with visible shadows underneath. The background is a solid light gray color.

Artwork details

Date:
18th century
Medium:
Gold
Culture:
Japanese
Dimensions:
600 × 480 px
Museum record:
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Palette