Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Sword Guard (Tsuba) is a circular, rusted metal object with a dark brown color and orange rust spots. The object has a large central oval-shaped hole and six smaller holes of varying shapes around it. The holes are cut out in a way that creates a decorative pattern around the central hole. The metal appears to be corroded and worn, with visible signs of aging and deterioration. The background of the image is a plain gray color. The object is centered in the image.