Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sword Guard (Tsuba) by an unknown artist. The object is a square metal guard with rounded corners and scalloped edges, made of bronze or brass with a brown patina. The guard features a central oval-shaped hole with a rounded top and flat bottom, containing a metal piece with a small notch at the top; the left side of this piece is inscribed with vertical Japanese characters. On the right side, a 3D relief depicts a man with a large head and expressive facial features wearing a white head covering and robe. The man sits in a boat with a flat bottom and raised bow; the boat and the man are rendered in shades of gold, brown, and white. The background of the guard includes a depiction of water and grasses on the left and right side; the grasses on the right are rendered in relief. The guard appears to have a textured surface with darker areas around the edges.