Artwork preview

Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Round, flat, dark brown metal object with a large central oval hole and two smaller oval holes on either side. The object has an intricate design with curved lines and shapes, resembling a tree or vine pattern. Gold-colored metal inlays are scattered throughout the design, depicting various objects such as fans, swords, and other shapes. The background of the image is a light gray color. The object appears to be a sword guard, also known as a tsuba, created by an unknown artist.

Artwork details

Date:
ca. 1615–1868
Medium:
Iron, gold, copper
Culture:
Japanese
Dimensions:
600 × 600 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette