Artwork preview

Pair of Sword-Grip Ornaments (Menuki)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image shows two gold-colored ornaments. The top ornament features a dragon design with its head facing left and tail curled behind it, surrounded by foliage. The bottom ornament depicts a bird of prey, possibly an eagle or hawk, with its wings spread and talons extended, standing on foliage. Both ornaments are circular and have a raised, three-dimensional design. They are placed on a plain gray background, with the top ornament positioned above the bottom one. The ornaments are likely made of metal, possibly gold or brass, and have a shiny appearance. They appear to be menuki, which are decorative metalwork pieces used to secure a Japanese sword's handle.

Artwork Details

Date
18th century
Medium
Gold
Culture
Japanese
Dimensions
600 × 480 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette