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Samurai

• 
  Fudō Myōō (Achala-vidyārāja), Heian period (794–1185, 12th century
  Japan
  Joined-woodblock construction traces of color and cut-gold; H. 63 4/5 in. (162 cm)
  The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975 (1975.268.163)
  
• 
  Armor (yoroi), Late Kamakura period (1185–1333), early 14th century
  Japanese
  Lacquered iron and leather, silk, stenciled leather, copper-gilt; H. 37 1/2 in. (95.3 cm), Wt. 38 lb. 3 oz. (17.3 kg)
  Gift of Bashford Dean, 1914 (14.100.121)
  
• 
  Helmet (Zukinnari Kabuto), 16th century; Momoyama period
  Japanese
  Lacquered iron; H. 16 1/8 in. (41 cm)
  Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935 (36.25.81)
  

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The military elite dominated Japanese politics, economics, and social policies between the twelfth and nineteenth centuries. Known as bushi or samurai, these warriors, who first appear in historical records of the tenth century, rose to power initially through their martial prowess—in particular, they were expert in archery, swordsmanship, and horseback riding. The demands of the battlefield inspired these men to value the virtues of bravery and loyalty and to be keenly aware of the fragility of life. Yet, mastery of the arts of war was by no means sufficient. To achieve and maintain their wealth and position, the samurai also needed political, financial, and cultural acumen.

Mastery of the arts of war was by no means sufficient. To achieve and maintain their wealth and position, the samurai also needed political, financial, and cultural acumen.

Related

Timelines (2)

• Japan, 1000–1400 a.d.
• Japan, 1400–1600 a.d.

Primary Thematic Essays (6)

• Art of the Edo Period (1615–1868 A.D.)
• List of Rulers of Japan
• Momoyama Period (1573–1615)
• Muromachi Period (1392–1573)
• Shoguns and Art
• Zen Buddhism

Other Thematic Essays (16)

• Art of the Pleasure Quarters and the Ukiyo-e Style
• Japanese Incense
• Japanese Weddings in the Edo Period (1615–1868)
• Kamakura and Nanbokucho Periods (1185–1392)
• Lacquerware of East Asia
• Netsuke: From Fashion Fobs to Coveted Collectibles
• Noh Costume
• Painting Formats in East Asian Art
• Rinpa Painting Style
• Shinto
• Techniques of Decoration on Arms and Armor
• The Decoration of Arms and Armor
• The Japanese Blade: Technology and Manufacture
• The Japanese Tea Ceremony
• The Kano School of Painting
• Yamato-e Painting

Maps (1)

• World, 1400-1600 A.D.

Index Terms (15)

Art Movement/Style

• Edo Period of Japan
• Momoyama Period of Japan
• Muromachi Period of Japan

Geography/Place

• Japan

Material and Technique

• Gilt Copper

Object

• Body Armor
• Helmet

Subject Matter/Theme

• Warrior
• Military in East Asia
• Rainbow
• Buddhism
• Buddhist Arms and Armor
• Buddhist Sculpture in the Round
• Samurai
• Warfare

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In contrast with the brutality of their profession, many leaders of the military government became highly cultivated individuals. Some were devoted patrons of Buddhism, especially of the Zen and Jodo schools. Several were known as accomplished poets, and others as talented calligraphers. During the Muromachi period (1392–1573), a number of shoguns exerted a profound cultural influence by amassing impressive collections of painting, enthusiastically supporting No and Kyogen theater, and sponsoring the construction of beautiful temples and gardens in Kyoto. Powerful warriors of the succeeding Momoyama era (1573–1615) inherited this repertoire of interests and added to it a love of grandeur and splendor. The massive walls, vast audience chambers, and soaring keeps of their great castles became the central symbols of the age. Glittering with the abundant use of gold and dynamic in design, the paintings of this period exuded power and monumentality. On a more intimate scale, the development of the tea ceremony was closely intertwined with samurai culture in the late medieval period. During the Edo period (1615–1868), the cult of the warrior, bushido, became formalized and an idealized code of behavior, focusing on fidelity to one's lord and honor, developed. The samurai of this period inherited the traditional aesthetics and practices of their predecessors and, therefore, continued the seemingly paradoxical relationship between the cultivation of bu and bun—the arts of war and of culture—that characterized Japan's great warriors.



Department of Asian Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Citation Department of Asian Art. "Samurai". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/samu/hd_samu.htm (October 2002) Further Reading Mason, Penelope History of Japanese Art. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004. Shimizu, Yoshiaki, ed. Japan: The Shaping of Daimyo Culture, 1185–1868.. Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art, 1988. Related exhibitions and online features Special Exhibitions (including upcoming, current, and past exhibitions)

These related Museum Bulletin or Journal articles may or may not represent the most current scholarship. Nickel, Helmut "Arms and Armor: From the Permanent Collection." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 49, no. 1 (Summer, 1991). JSTOR | PDF | Supplemental PDFs "Director’s Note" PDF "Introduction" PDF Ogawa, Morihiro "A Famous Fourteenth-Century Japanese Armor." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 24 (1989). JSTOR | PDF Ford, Barbara Brennan "The Arts of Japan." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 45, no. 1 (Summer, 1987). JSTOR | PDF | Supplemental PDFs "Director’s Note" PDF "Foreword" PDF Okada, Barbra Teri and Tsujimoto, Kanya "The Fudo Myo-o from the Packard Collection: A Study during Restoration". Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 14 (1979). JSTOR | PDF Meech-Pekarik, Julia "Twelve Japanese Screens." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 37, no. 2 (Autumn, 1979). JSTOR | PDF | Supplemental PDFs "Director’s Note" PDF Vincent, Benjamin "A Study of the Works of Gassan Sadakazu in the Metropolitan Museum of Art." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 5 (1972). JSTOR | PDF Soper, Alexander Coburn "A Pictorial Biography of Prince Shotoku." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 25, no. 5 (January, 1967). JSTOR | PDF Grancsay, Stephen V. "The New Galleries of Oriental Arms and Armor." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 16, no. 9 (May, 1958). JSTOR | PDF