Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image depicts a circular object titled 'Sword Guard (Tsuba)' by an unknown artist. The object has a predominantly brown color with a gold rim. Two small figures, one larger and one smaller, are depicted on the left side. The larger figure wears a distinctive hat and a red garment adorned with gold accents. The smaller figure is dressed in a black and gold garment. Both figures are positioned on a brown ground that features scattered white and gray elements, possibly representing snow or clouds. Gray vegetation protrudes from the upper left corner. A hole with a distinctive shape, resembling an elongated teardrop with a rounded end, is on the right side. A vertical line of foreign script runs down the center. The background of the image is a plain white surface.