Artwork preview

Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image shows a Sword Guard (Tsuba) by an unknown artist. The guard is circular and made of dark brown metal, likely steel or iron, with a rough texture and visible signs of wear. The guard has two holes, one oval-shaped on the left and one elongated teardrop-shaped in the center. The surface features engravings and small gold dots scattered across it, with a darker area on the right side. The background of the image is plain white, providing a neutral contrast to the guard.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 1615–1868
Medium
Iron, copper
Culture
Japanese
Dimensions
600 × 600 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette