Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Hanshan and Shide (寒山拾得図鐔)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The obverse of this tsuba shows at the bottom right Hanshan (寒山, Japanese: Kanzan) and Shide (拾得, Japanese: Jittoku), popular figures in Zen painting, with their attributes scroll and broom respectively. The right part depicts a tree in openwork and the scene continues onto the reverse. The rest of the plate, except for the moon behind clouds at the top of the obverse, is polished and left undecorated.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.

Metropolitan Museum of Art