Artwork Page for Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Dragon and Palace

Details / Information for Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Dragon and Palace

Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Dragon and Palace

c. 1615–1868

Japan, possibly Edo period

(1615-1868)
Medium
iron
Measurements
Diameter: 7.1 cm (2 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of D. Z. Norton 1919.551
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
A circular iron tsuba features a dark disk with dense openwork. A wedge-shaped vertical opening centers the piece, flanked by a small oval hole. Intricate, swirling lines fill the frame, depicting a dragon winding across the top and a tiered palace at the base. The weathered black surface is punctuated by small yellow metal highlights. Scrolling, organic patterns create a textured mesh, framing the central voids in a complex, interlocking design.

Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Dragon and Palace

c. 1615–1868

Japan, possibly Edo period (1615-1868)

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