Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>)

The image shows a sword guard, made of dark brown metal with a rusted appearance. The guard is oval-shaped with a large central hole in the shape of a Japanese character or symbol. The central piece is dark brown with rust spots and a darker brown decorative piece at the top. The edge of the guard is decorated with a gold swirling pattern on a dark brown background. Two gold curved pieces protrude from the bottom of the guard. A small gold rectangle is at the bottom center. The background of the image is white. The image is of a "Sword Guard (Tsuba)" by an unknown artist.