This hand guard, or tsuba, is made of shakudo which is an alloy of copper and gold which is generally patinated to a rich black colour. In Japan, decoration such as that found here is called iroe which translates as 'coloured picture', referring to designs in various colour metals. In this case the design is of Kato Kiyomasa in full armour seated on a campstool gazing out to sea at Japan, which is represented on the back by an image of the distant snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji.