Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Japan's Samurai art on show in New York
France24 ^ | 20 October 2009 | AFP

Posted on 10/19/2009 7:40:22 PM PDT by csvset

AFP - The world's most comprehensive collection of armor, weaponry and art covering 700 years of Japan's fabled Samurai culture goes on exhibit this week at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156-1868" will open Wednesday, showcasing "214 masterpieces, including 34 national treasures, 64 important cultural properties, and six important art objects," the museum said in a statement.

Open until January 10, the exhibit includes "armor, swords, sword fittings and mountings, archery and equestrian equipment, banners, surcoats... as well as painted screens and scrolls," some of which have never left Japan.

"This is the most comprehensive exhibition of Japanese arms and armor ever to take place in the world," including Japan, the museum boasted.

The Bushi or Samurai, Japan's military elite, for seven centuries dominated the politics, economy and society of their country. The exhibition displays the evolution of the Samurai's "omote dogu," or exterior equipment.

Military hardware, especially swords and armor, were highly prized and used for display as well as the dress worn in battle. In pursuit of their excellence, the Samurai would spend untold amounts and go to any extreme.

In contrast to the brutality of their profession, many Samurai became highly cultivated individuals; several were known as accomplished poets, and others as talented calligraphers.

"This exhibition is a unique opportunity to witness for the first time the emergence and development of this 'exterior equipment' together with paintings and other related materials," the museum said.

It "will include many works that are seen rarely and others that have never been shown beyond the Shinto shrines and a temple," exhibition curator Morihiro Ogawa said in the museum statement.

A top feature of the exhibition is the Japanese sword, often called the "spirit of the samurai." Among the masterpieces is a 13th century tachi blade, or slung sword, that was valued at the time at 2.25 kilograms of silver.

The exhibition includes a video showing all the work involved in crafting a samurai sword, from the forging of several types of steel to ensure the blade's resilience and tough edge to its painstaking sharpening procedure.

Samurai armor is another feature of the exhibition, including a collection of unique helmets in lacquered metal, topped with imposing crests inspired by nature that communicated both status and fear on the battlefield.

The collection from the Edo period (1615-1868) includes a peach-shaped helmet with butterfly crest, one with a fore crest in the form of a mantis, another in the shape of a crab and one in the form of a five-storied pagoda.

"I sincerely hope that this exhibition will bring to the public a new awareness of the samurai culture that is often misunderstood as a mere martial art," said Ogawa.


TOPICS: History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs; japan; metropolitan; museum; samurai; samuri

Nimai-do" armor is seen on display at the exhibition "Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156-1868" during a preview at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The exhibition brings together hundreds of objects that have never traveled outside Japan.

Gosoku armor with nanban-style cuirass and helmet (right, front) and other objects are seen on display at the exhibition "Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156-1868" during a preview at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The exhibition brings together hundreds of objects that have never traveled outside Japan.

1 posted on 10/19/2009 7:40:25 PM PDT by csvset
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: csvset

awesome, I wish I had the time to go see it.


2 posted on 10/19/2009 7:47:20 PM PDT by mnehring
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: csvset
Dang. I wish this would come out on DVD, or come to God's Country (Texas).


Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

3 posted on 10/19/2009 7:54:08 PM PDT by The Comedian (Evil can only succeed if good men don't point at it and laugh.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: csvset
I have had the privilege to see Japanese Master Sword and Knife makers at work. They are recognized as Living Historical Legends by the Japanese Gov't. I have also viewed several private and public exhibitions of their items.
Unbelievably fascinating...if one has an interest in this stuff.
Trivia: Most surgical blades are sharpened by methods developed and used by Japanese sword and knife makers.

A doorway to an entire world of blade making.
4 posted on 10/19/2009 7:55:03 PM PDT by Tainan (Cogito, ergo conservatus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mnehring
Metropolitan Museum links to images Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156–1868

More exhibit info on the Main Page

5 posted on 10/19/2009 7:59:59 PM PDT by csvset
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: The Comedian

I wish I had vacation time left. I’d like to go see it.


6 posted on 10/19/2009 8:03:35 PM PDT by csvset
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

GGG ping


7 posted on 10/19/2009 8:04:32 PM PDT by csvset
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: csvset
The Samurai And The Ainu


8 posted on 10/19/2009 8:39:17 PM PDT by blam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: csvset

Oh, too cool! I have an MA friend in NY. I’ll have to email him about this.


9 posted on 10/19/2009 9:10:26 PM PDT by ReneeLynn (Socialism is SO yesterday. Fascism, it*s the new black. Mmm Mmm Mmm.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: csvset

10 posted on 10/19/2009 11:18:11 PM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: csvset; TigerLikesRooster; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; ...

· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe ·

 
Gods
Graves
Glyphs
Thanks csvset.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
 

·Dogpile · Archaeologica · ArchaeoBlog · Archaeology · Biblical Archaeology Society ·
· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google ·
· The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists ·


11 posted on 10/20/2009 3:09:15 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: mnehring

I wish it were somewhere where I COULD go to see it. Any chance of it coming to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta?


12 posted on 10/20/2009 3:13:23 PM PDT by Little Ray (Obama is a kamikaze president aimed at the heart of this Republic.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Ramius; 300winmag; IrishCatholic; lookout88; Wpin; spetznaz; Smokin' Joe; HungarianGypsy; neb52; ...

Ah! An opportunity to exercise the little-used Sword Ping List!

Sword Ping!!

:-)


13 posted on 10/20/2009 3:50:24 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JoeProBono

That suit with the antlers is impressive... from an artistic standpoint. But man... it seems wildly impractical to actually fight in that helmet.


14 posted on 10/20/2009 3:52:16 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Ramius

More at the Met site:

http://www.metmuseum.org/special/samurai_armor/images.asp


15 posted on 10/20/2009 3:58:31 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Ramius

A scroll painting of the deer anter helmut wearing it:

http://www.metmuseum.org/special/samurai_armor/view_1.asp?item=6


16 posted on 10/20/2009 4:00:54 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: BunnySlippers

Ah... cool... thanks.

Those 12th-13th century blades are in exceptional condition.


17 posted on 10/20/2009 4:05:07 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Ramius

Little used sword ping, but greatly effective!! Cool costumes, somehow I don’t see these being practical to fight in.


18 posted on 10/20/2009 4:32:14 PM PDT by lookout88 (.combat rescue officer's dad,)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Ramius
That suit with the antlers is impressive... from an artistic standpoint. But man... it seems wildly impractical to actually fight in that helmet.

The owner of armor like that would keep it on display when it wasn't being used. Perhaps he had a more practical helmet for actual combat.

Of course, the object is to scare the opposing ashigaru and impress the other samurai before the actual fighting starts. That would also explain the hideous face masks that held the helmets on the head. I doubt if anyone went with a smiley-face one.

19 posted on 10/20/2009 4:44:40 PM PDT by 300winmag (Zero to abject failure in under a month. A new land speed record!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: 300winmag

LOL... but the smiley face would’ve really freaked ‘em out. :-)

There were, of course, ceremonial purposes for armor as much as practical fighting use. European armor was no different in that respect.


20 posted on 10/20/2009 5:02:56 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson