Artwork preview

Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Round sword guard with a dark brown background and gold accents. Two carved creatures resembling lions or dogs on either side. The creature on the left faces right, its body curled. The creature on the right faces left, its body stretched out. The guard features a central oval shape with a teardrop-shaped cutout. A smaller oval shape with a gold-colored background to the right. Gold-colored floral patterns and swirls throughout. A vertical line on the right side appears to represent a sword. The guard sits on a light grey background. The sword guard is titled "Sword Guard (Tsuba)" by an unknown artist.

Artwork details

Date:
late 17th century
Medium:
Iron, gold, copper
Culture:
Japanese
Dimensions:
600 × 600 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette