Sword Guard (Tsuba)
Unknown Artist
1858
Medium
Iron, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), gold, copper
Dimensions
H. 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm); W. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm); thickness 1/4 in. (0.6 cm); Wt. 5.1 oz. (144.6 g)
Classification
Sword Furniture-Tsuba
Culture
Japanese
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Gift of Howard Mansfield, 1936
Accession Number
36.120.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite sword guard, or *tsuba*, hails from Japan in 1858, during the final years of the Edo period when samurai culture still flourished amid growing Western influences. As a crucial component of the katana mount, the tsuba protected the while adding aesthetic flair. Crafted at 3 1/8 inches high and weighing a substantial 5.1 ounces, it exemplifies the meticulous sword furniture that elevated weaponry to wearable art. Forged primarily from iron, the tsuba is enriched with shakudō—a copper-gold alloy prized for its deep black patina—alongside gold and copper inlays. These materials all...