Sword Guard

Tibetan or Chinese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 378

Depicting the face of a wrathful Tibetan Buddhist guardian deity, this extremely rare sword guard was originally part of a complete and very lavish sword. It is from the peak period of Tibetan or Sino-Tibetan ironwork, coinciding with the rule of the Phagmodrupa kings in central Tibet and the Hongwu and Yongle dynasties in China. It is exceptional for the precision and crispness of its chiseling, punched work, and damascening; for the height of the raised decoration; and for the balance and cohesion of its overall design.

Sword Guard, Iron, gold, silver, copper, Tibetan or Chinese

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Sword Guard, Iron, gold, silver, copper, Tibetan or Chinese
Sword Guard, Iron, gold, silver, copper, Tibetan or Chinese

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