Artwork preview

Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dark brown square-shaped sword guard with rounded edges and two cutout sections in the center; one oval and one more rounded at the bottom. A mountain peak is at the top left, with a gray and white color; gold inlays depict wavy lines extending from the peak. On the right side, two gold dragons are positioned; one larger than the other. A black oval inlay is on the left side. The background features etched designs resembling waves, with gold dots and a dark green branch-like pattern at the bottom.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 1615–1868
Medium
Iron, gold, silver, copper
Culture
Japanese
Dimensions
600 × 600 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette