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Pair of Sword-Grip Ornaments (Menuki)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Two gold and black sword-grip ornaments, also known as menuki, are shown side by side. The ornaments are shaped like a horn or a trumpet and have a black color with gold accents. The gold parts are textured to resemble cord wrapping. The black parts have a smooth surface and a gold half-circle design near the base. The base of each ornament is a small, cylindrical piece of metal with a hole at the end. The background of the image is a plain gray color. The menuki are placed with the bases pointing to the left and right sides of the image. The menuki are likely made of metal and have a traditional Japanese design.

Artwork details

Date:
19th century
Medium:
Copper-gold alloy (shakudō), gold, silver
Culture:
Japanese
Dimensions:
600 × 480 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette