Artwork preview

Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Round, dark brown metal object with a wavy edge. Three holes are cut out from the center, one long and thin, vertical hole flanked by two oval-shaped holes. The surface features a design of wavy lines, resembling clouds or water, with small flecks of gold in some areas. This is a Sword Guard (Tsuba).

Artwork details

Date:
ca. 1615–1868
Medium:
Iron, copper
Culture:
Japanese
Dimensions:
600 × 600 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette