Sword guard
Iron - Eighteenth century
Japanese sword guard
This is a 'tsuba', a Japanese sword guard. It would have rested between the sword blade and handle, and prevented the user's hand from sliding onto the blade of the sword during combat. The craft of tsuba-making was very specialised in Japan, and many were made from precious metals with highly intricate designs.
This tsuba is made of iron and is known as 'sukashi', which means 'pierced'. It has gilt decorations depicting a dragon and tiger in bamboo. It is a 'Namban' style tsuba, from around 1700 to 1750.
Museum object number
See related topic: World Collection: Ornamentation