Sword guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting a Tartar (韃靼人図鐔)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This tsuba shows a figure with a hound, playing a trumpet. The garments and instrument identify the person as a Tartar (Japanese: dattan) and Tartars, particularly whilst hunting, were a popular theme in Japanese art in the late 16th and early 17th century. The reverse shows a pine and broad-leaf bamboo (sasa).

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