Artwork Page for Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Dragonfly

Details / Information for Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Dragonfly

Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Dragonfly

c. 1615–1868

Japan, possibly Edo period

(1615-1868)
Medium
iron
Measurements
Diameter: 8.6 cm (3 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of D. Z. Norton 1919.534
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
Mottled brown iron forms a flat, circular sword guard, its surface heavily textured with fine pitting. A vertical, wedge-shaped opening is pierced through the center. Near the upper left edge, negative space cutouts create the silhouette of a dragonfly with four elongated wings and an oval body. Two tiny circular holes sit just below. The dark, weathered metal displays a rustic patina, emphasizing the organic qualities of the aged ironwork.

Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Dragonfly

c. 1615–1868

Japan, possibly Edo period (1615-1868)

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