Sword Guard (Tsuba)
Unknown Artist
ca. 1615–1868
Medium
Iron, copper alloy (sentoku), copper, gold, silver
Dimensions
H. 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm); W. 3 in. (7.6 cm); thickness 3/8 in. (1 cm); Wt. 7.6 oz. (215.5 g)
Classification
Sword Furniture-Tsuba
Culture
Japanese
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
29.100.961
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite **Sword Guard (Tsub)** hails from Japan's Edo period (ca. 1615–1868), a time of relative peace when samurai culture shifted from battlefield prowess to refined artistry. As a key piece of sword furniture, the tsuba served a practical role—shielding the hand from the blade—while evolving into a canvas for elaborate decoration. Crafted by an unknown artisan, this guard exemplifies the period's mastery of metalwork, blending functionality with aesthetic splendor in the Arms and Armor tradition. Fashioned from iron with inlays of copper alloy (sentoku), copper, gold, and silver, th...