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Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image depicts a sword guard titled "Sword Guard (Tsuba)" by an unknown artist. The guard is oval shaped with a large, teardrop-shaped hole centered. The guard is made of metal featuring a bronze or copper color. There are two silver snakes on the guard; both have white spots on their bodies. The snakes are positioned on top of the guard; one faces left and the other faces right. The snakes are surrounded by gold and silver plants and flowers; on the left side of the guard, there are silver and gold plants emerging from the bottom. The background of the image is white.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 1615–1868
Medium
Copper-silver alloy (shibuichi), gold, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), copper
Culture
Japanese
Dimensions
600 × 600 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette