Knife Handle (Kozuka)
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Copper-gold alloy (shakudō), copper, silver
Dimensions
L. 3 13/16 in. (9.7 cm); W. 9/16 in. (1.4 cm); thickness 3/16 in. (0.5 cm); Wt. 1.2 oz. (34 g)
Classification
Sword Furniture-Kozuka
Culture
Japanese
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of a Trustee of the Museum, 1917
Accession Number
17.208.63
Tags
About this artwork
This engraving depicts the Triumph of Marcus Aurelius based on the ancient Roman relief panels now in the Capitoline Museum, published in 1583 by Claudio Duchetti as part of the Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae series, after Nicolas Beatrizet's design and Antonio Lafreri's earlier publication. The composition shows the emperor in triumphal procession, surrounded by attendant figures and allegorical elements that celebrate Roman military victory and imperial virtue. Renaissance printmakers studied...