Sword Guard (Tsuba)
Unknown Artist
ca. 1615–1868
Medium
Copper alloy (sentoku), copper-silver alloy (shibuichi), copper-gold alloy (shakudō), silver, gold, copper
Dimensions
H. 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm); W. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm); thickness 1/2 in. (1.3 cm); Wt. 7 oz. (198.4 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
29.100.981
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Sword Guard (Tsub)*, crafted in Japan during the Edo period (ca. 1615–1868), the artistry of samurai sword fittings. As the hand guard on a katana or wakizashi, the tsuba served both a practical purpose—protecting the hand during combat—and an aesthetic one, transforming weapons into wearable sculptures. Produced amid a time of relative peace under the Tokugawa shogunate, tsuba evolved from simple iron guards into elaborate masterpieces, often featuring motifs from nature that reflected Zen-inspired appreciation for the natural world. Masterfully fashioned from a luxurious mix...