Artwork preview

Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dark brown sword guard with a central oval shape containing another oval and rounded rectangle; two rounded rectangular cutouts on either side; wavy edge; inlaid gold and silver designs. A bird flies above a tree with gold dots; on the right side a roofed structure with a window; a seated figure with a smoking pipe; on the left a standing figure with a fishing rod; and gold and silver plants.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 1800
Medium
Iron, gold, silver, copper, copper-gold alloy (shakudō)
Culture
Japanese
Dimensions
600 × 600 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette