Artwork preview

Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dark brown metal tsuba in a circular shape with a central oval section featuring a large cutout and etched Japanese characters; this section is surrounded by a series of connected, individually shaped metal pieces resembling various types of seashells and a fish; the metal pieces are intricately detailed with textures and patterns; the background is a light grey color.

Artwork Details

Date
17th century
Medium
Iron, copper
Culture
Japanese
Dimensions
600 × 600 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette