Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dark brown metal object with rounded edges and four rounded protrusions on the perimeter. Two long oval-shaped holes and one teardrop-shaped hole in the center; one teardrop-shaped hole on the right side. Decorations include two birds with blue and orange feathers on the top; one bird on a branch at bottom; and a cat on a branch on the right. The branch on the right curves behind the cat and through a hole. The object appears to be weathered with spots of rust and wear on the decorations. This is a sword guard, or Tsuba, by an unknown artist.