Artwork preview

Knife Handle (Kozuka)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The object is a long, rectangular, black, possibly metal handle with a raised design on it. The design depicts a landscape scene with a body of water on the left and mountains on the right. A small building sits atop one of the mountains on the right. The background of the image is a plain light gray color. The object titled "Knife Handle (Kozuka)" by an unknown artist appears to be a traditional Japanese kozuka, which is a handle attached to a Japanese dagger or short sword, often used for utility purposes.

Artwork details

Date:
18th century
Medium:
Copper-gold alloy (shakudō), gold
Culture:
Japanese
Dimensions:
599 × 337 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette