Sword Guard (Tsuba)

Unknown

ca. 3rd–7th century · Bronze, gold · Arms and Armor

This tsuba comes from a burial mound (kofun) in Shioda, in the Japanese province of Bizen, and is one of the earliest sword guards to survive from Japan. It was part of the exchange of objects between the Imperial Museum (later the Tokyo National Museum) and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which was arranged by Bashford Dean in 1905–6.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 3rd–7th century

Medium

Bronze, gold

Culture

Japanese

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Gift of Bashford Dean, by exchange, 1906