The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156

Search for a Met publication (from 1964)

_____
______
_______

Publication type

Thematic category

Collection / Department

Format

MetPublications

– About MetPublications

– Recently published titles

– NOW: Celebrating Arms and Armor publications

– Favorite Met titles

– Notable exhibition catalogues

– Notable collection catalogues

– Titles with full-text online

– Online publications

– All available titles

– Related posts in Now at the Met

Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156–1868

Ogawa, Morihiro, ed., with contributions by Kazutoshi Harada, Hiroshi Ikeda, Tetsuo Ito, Ayako Kobayashi, Masato Misumi, Takamasa Saito, and Taeko Watanabe (2009)

This title is in print.

Description

Samurai arms and equipment are widely recognized as masterpieces in steel, silk, and lacquer. This extensively illustrated volume includes the finest examples of swords, sword mountings and fittings, armor and helmets, saddles, banners, and paintings from Japanese collections. Dating from the fifth to the nineteenth century, these majestic objects offer a complete picture of samurai culture and its unique blend of the martial and the refined.

Table of contents

Director's Foreword
Thomas P. Campbell

Commissioner's Statement
Hideo Tamai

Acknowledgments
Lenders to the Exhibition
Chronology
Contributors
Note to the Reader

Spirit of the Samurai
Morihiro Ogawa

Japanese Arms and Armor: An Overview
Miroshi Ikeda
Catalogue numbers 1–49

History of the Japanese Sword
Kazutoshi Harada
Catalogue numbers 50–109

Sword Mountings and Fittings
Morihiro Ogawa
Catalogue numbers 110–114

Appendices A–E
Glossary
Selected Bibliography
Index

Press reviews

Midwest Book Review

"... a must for any collection strong in Japanese arts."

Art Museum Journal

"... provides a fitting accompaniment to the museum's exhibition. The books editor and contributing essayists. ... have intended that the volume present the definitive treatment of Japanese arms and armor ever published in English. ... the text stands not merely as a companion piece to the show, but also as a separate work of scholarly study."

San Francisco Chronicle

"... a fine introduction to the feats of metal craft that Japanese swords embody."

Choice Reviews Online

"Extraordinary ... this book will set the standard for many generations."

Tags

Authors

Keywords

Asian Art, Japan

Print Titles

Bullock, Randolph. "Oriental Arms and Armor." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 5, no. 6 (February, 1947). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1947.

Ford, Barbara Brennan. "The Arts of Japan." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 45, no. 1 (Summer, 1987). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987.

Ford, Barbara Brennan, and Oliver R. Impey. Japanese Art from the Gerry Collection in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1989.

Impey, O. R. "Japanese Porcelain at Burghley House: The Inventory of 1688 and the Sale of 1888." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 37 (2002). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002.

Lerner, Martin. Blue and White: Early Japanese Export Ware. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1978.

Mailey, Jean. "Four Hundred Winters ... Four Hundred Springs ..." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 18, no. 4 (December, 1959). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1959.

Mayor, A. Hyatt. "Hokusai." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 43, no. 1 (Summer, 1985). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1985.

Meech, Julia. "Early Collections of Japanese Prints and The Metropolitan Museum of Art." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 17 (1982). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1982.

Meech, Julia. "Twelve Japanese Screens." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 37, no. 2 (Autumn, 1979). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1979.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Hiroshige: A Shoal of Fishes. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1980.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Momoyama: Japanese Art in the Age of Grandeur. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1975.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Utamaro: A Chorus of Birds. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1982.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Utamaro: Songs of the Garden. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1984.

Murase, Miyeko, ed., with contributions by Jun'ichi Takeuchi and Mutsuko Amemiya, João Paulo Oliveira e Costa, Joyce Denney, Hideaki Furukawa, Jun'ichi Hayashi, Yoshiaki Itō, Taishū Komatsu, Andrew L. Maske, Terry Satsuki Milhaupt, Tadayoshi Miyoshi, Miyeko Murase, Akira Nagoya, Katsushi Narusawa, Yasumasa Oka, Shunroku Okudaira, Susumu Shimasaki, Misato Shomura, Masako Watanabe, and Richard L. Wilson. Turning Point: Oribe and the Arts of Sixteenth-Century Japan. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2003.

Murase, Miyeko, with contributions by Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, Karen L. Brock, Sondra Castile, Maxwell K. Hearn, Tadayuki Kasashima, Denise Patry Leidy, Masako Watanabe, and Yūji Yamashita. The Written Image: Japanese Calligraphy and Painting from the Sylvan Barnet and William Burto Collection. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002.

Ogawa, Morihiro. "A Famous Fourteenth-Century Japanese Armor." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 24 (1989). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1989.

Ogawa, Morihiro, ed., with contributions by Kazutoshi Harada, Hiroshi Ikeda, Tetsuo Ito, Ayako Kobayashi, Masato Misumi, Takamasa Saito, and Taeko Watanabe. Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156–1868. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009.

Okada, Barbra Teri. Netsuke: Masterpieces from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1982.

Okada, Barbra Teri. "Netsuke: The Small Sculptures of Japan." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 38, no. 2 (Fall, 1980). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1980.

Okada, Barbra Teri. "The Fudo Myo-o from the Packard Collection: A Study during Restoration." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 14 (1979). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1979.

Onishi, Hiroshi. "Immortals and Sages: Paintings from Ryoanji Temple." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 51, no. 1 (Summer, 1993). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1993.

Pekarik, Andrew J. Japanese Lacquer, 1600–1900: Selections from the Charles A. Greeneld Collection. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1980.

Priest, Alan. "A Note on Japanese Painting." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 11, no. 8 (April, 1953). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1953.

Priest, Alan. "An Aristocracy of Robes." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 18, no. 4 (December, 1959). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1959.

Priest, Alan. "Autumn Millet." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 17, no. 4 (December, 1958). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1958.

Priest, Alan. "Japanese Color Prints: The Henry L. Phillips Collection." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 6, no. 4 (December, 1947). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1947.

Priest, Alan. "Korin and the Iris Screens." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 13, no. 7 (March, 1955). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1955.

Priest, Alan. "The Mansfield Collection of Japanese Prints." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 5, no. 4 (December, 1946). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1946.

Priest, Alan. "The Tale of Genji." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 15, no. 1 (Summer, 1956). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1956.

Priest, Alan. "Zeshin." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 12, no. 4 (December, 1953). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1953.

Richard, Naomi Noble. "No Motifs in the Decoration of a Mid-Edo Period Kosode," Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 25 (1990). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1990.

Sakamoto, Koso. "Tomioka Tessai." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 15, no. 8 (April, 1957). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1957.

Simmons, Pauline. "Artist Designers of the Tokugawa Period." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 14, no. 6 (February, 1956). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1956.

Soper, Alexander Coburn. "A Pictorial Biography of Prince Shotoku." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 25, no. 5 (January, 1967). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1967.

Takeshi, Nagatake. Japanese Ceramics from the Tanakamaru Collection. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1979.

Vincent, Benjamin. "A Study of the Works of Gassan Sadakazu in the Metropolitan Museum of Art." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 5 (1972). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972.

Vincent, Benjamin. "A Takahashi Nobuhide Dagger and Portrait." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 7 (1973). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1973.

Vincent, Benjamin. "Warrior's Defense, Wearer's Delight: An Introduction to Japanese Swordguards." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 30, no. 5 (June–July, 1972). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972.

Watanabe, Masako. Storytelling in Japanese Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.

Watt, James C. Y., and Barbara Brennan Ford. East Asian Lacquer: The Florence and Herbert Irving Collection. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1991.

Online Titles

Department of Asian Art. "Art of the Edo Period (1615–1868)." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Art of the Pleasure Quarters and the Ukiyo-e Style." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Asuka and Nara Periods (538–794)." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Heian Period (794–1185)." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Jomon Culture (ca. 10,500–ca. 300 B.C.)." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Kamakura and Nanbokucho Periods (1185–1392)." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Kofun Period (ca. 3rd century–538)." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Momoyama Period (1573–1615)." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Muromachi Period (1392–1573)." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Rinpa Painting Style." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Samurai." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Seasonal Imagery in Japanese Art." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Shinto." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Shoguns and Art." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "The Kano School of Painting." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Woodblock Prints in the Ukiyo-e Style." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Department of Asian Art. "Yayoi Culture (ca. 4th century B.C.–3rd century A.D.)." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Hunter, Edward. "The Japanese Blade: Technology and Manufacture." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Munemura, Yoshinori. "List of Rulers of Japan." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Willmann, Anna. "Yamato-e Painting." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

Titles by author (12)

Ayako Kobayashi

Print Titles

Hiroshi Ikeda

Print Titles

Kazutoshi Harada

Print Titles

Masako Watanabe

Print Titles

Watanabe, Masako. Storytelling in Japanese Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.

Masato Misumi

Print Titles

Morihiro Ogawa

Print Titles

Ogawa, Morihiro. "A Famous Fourteenth-Century Japanese Armor." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 24 (1989). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1989.

Pyhrr, Stuart W., Donald J. LaRocca, and Morihiro Ogawa. Arms and Armor: Notable Acquisitions, 1991–2002. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002.

Takamasa Saito

Print Titles

Tetsuo Ito

Print Titles

Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156–1868

This is the first comprehensive exhibition devoted to the arts of the samurai. Arms and armor is the principal focus, bringing together the finest examples of armor, swords and sword mountings, archery equipment and firearms, equestrian equipment, banners, surcoats, and related accessories of rank such as fans and batons. Drawn entirely from public and private collections in Japan, the majority of objects date from the rise of the samurai in the late Heian period, ca. 1156, through the early modern Edo period, ending in 1868, when samurai culture was abolished. The martial skills and daily life of the samurai, their governing lords, the daimyo, and the ruling shoguns will also be evoked through the presence of painted scrolls and screens depicting battles and martial sports, castles, and portraits of individual warriors. The exhibition concludes with a related exhibition documenting the recent restoration in Japan of a selection of arms and armor from the Metropolitan Museums permanent collection. This is the first exhibition ever devoted to the subject of Japanese arms and armor conservation.