In this tsuba, or Japanese sword guard, a fierce eagle swoops down onto a monkey, who tries to hide in a tree. Eagles, like other birds of prey, often symbolize a martial spirit, a fitting subject for a sword. This tsuba was made in the 19th century. Around the same time, increasing contact with the West forced elites to rethink Japanese national identity. Eagles became a useful symbol for a modern military force. In Kawanabe Kyōsai’s Eagle Attacking a Monkey https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/54604, for example, the swooping eagle represents Japan’s emergence as an aspiring global power.

Sword guard (Tsuba)