Artwork preview

Pair of Sword-Grip Ornaments (Menuki)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pair of Sword-Grip Ornaments (Menuki) by artist. Two silver ornaments in the shape of birds resting on tree branches. The top ornament shows a bird with its head facing left, body angled downward, and tail feathers fanned out. The bottom ornament depicts a bird with its head tucked under its wing, body curved, and tail feathers also fanned out. Both ornaments have textured surfaces and detailed engravings to represent feathers and branches. The background is light gray.

Artwork details

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