Sword Guard (Tsuba)
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Iron, copper
Dimensions
H. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm); W. 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm); thickness 3/16 in. (0.5 cm); Wt. 2.6 oz. (73.7 g)
Classification
Sword Furniture-Tsuba
Culture
Japanese
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Adrian H. Joline, 1914
Accession Number
14.60.47
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 18th-century Japanese guard, or *tsuba*, is a masterful example of Edo-period metalwork from the Metropolitan Museum Art's Arms and Armor. Crafted from iron with copper accents, it measures just 2¾ inches high and weighs a mere 2.6 ounces, perfectly suited to protect the hand of a samurai while adorning the hilt of a katana or wakizashi. Gifted to the museum in 191 by Mrs. Adrian H Joline, it exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of anonymous artisans who elevated functional objects into wearable art. The tsuba's openwork design (*sukashi*) features intricate motifs of houses, ...