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Pair of Sword-Grip Ornaments (Menuki)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pair of Sword-Grip Ornaments (Menuki) by artist. Two small, dark metal beetle-shaped objects. Oval-shaped bodies with six thin legs protruding from sides. Bodies have a textured surface with small gold spots. Heads are on right side of bodies, with visible antennae. Objects are identical but not symmetrical, with one above the other on a light gray background, oriented with heads facing right.

Artwork Details

Date
19th century
Medium
Copper-gold alloy (shakudō), gold, copper-silver alloy (shibuichi)
Culture
Japanese
Dimensions
600 × 480 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette