Artwork preview

Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dark brown circular sword guard with a raised design depicting a mythical creature standing on waves. The creature has yellow eyes and gold detailing on its clothing. The guard features two cutouts, one oval shape on the left and a more angular shape on the right. Gold accents are present along the bottom edge and within the design.

Artwork details

Date:
ca. 1615–1868
Medium:
Copper-silver alloy (shibuichi), gold, copper
Culture:
Japanese
Dimensions:
600 × 600 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette