The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 17, 2026

This circular sword guard is crafted from dark iron, pierced with three openings. Gnarled pine branches arch across the top, their needles detailed with gold. Below, four small figures pull a rope tied to a platform where a larger figure reclines. Gold and copper inlays accent their clothing against the tarnished metal. To the right of the center, a gold mark is inlaid, balancing the textured figures and organic negative spaces.

Sword Guard

late 1700s

Japan, Edo period

(1615–1868)
iron with gold and copper inlay (Tetsugendo type)
Diameter: 6.7 cm (2 5/8 in.)
Gift of D. Z. Norton 1919.448
Location: Not on view
  • "Accessions." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 6, no. 6 (1919): 113-14. Mentioned: p. 114 25136301
  • {{cite web|title=Sword Guard|url=false|author=|year=late 1700s|access-date=17 May 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1919.448