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Pair of Sword-Grip Ornaments (Menuki)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image shows two gold-colored ornaments. The ornaments are identical in design but are mirror images of each other. They are shaped like elongated ovals with a figure in the center of each. The figures appear to be mythical creatures with a human-like body sitting on clouds and have their arms raised. The figures have a round face, and their hair appears to be styled in a crown-like fashion. Each ornament has a decorative border around the figure, featuring swirling patterns at the bottom that resemble clouds. There are circular protrusions on either side of the top of the oval shape. The background of the image is light gray.

Artwork Details

Date
18th century
Medium
Gold
Culture
Japanese
Dimensions
500 × 625 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette