Artwork preview

Sword Guard (Tsuba)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dark gray metal object with octagonal shape. Raised design on the bottom right featuring a seated figure with its hands on its lap. Large oval-shaped cutout in the center with a narrower pointed oval cutout inside. Top section features a curved design resembling tree branches with yellow inlays throughout the design. Yellow inlays also present along the edge. Central figure and design appear to be a darker gray than the background.

Artwork Details

Date
early 18th century
Medium
Iron, copper, copper alloy (sentoku)
Culture
Japanese, Higo
Dimensions
600 × 600 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette