STUART PYHRR: The Metropolitan Museum's collection of Japanese arms and armor is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world.

NARRATOR: Curator Stuart Pyhrr.

STUART PYHRR: The centerpiece of the collection is this fourteenth-century yoroi, a cavalry armor thought to have been worn by Ashikaga Tagauji, the founder of the Ashikaga shogunate. Unlike European armor, which is formed of steel plates, Japanese armor is formed of small—very small—plates of iron and leather, covered with lacquer and laced together in silk. Today most of the white silk laces that once covered this armor are missing, but they allow us to look at the plates more carefully and see its construction. Overlapping plates create a double thickness of protection. At the same time, the telescoping effect of the overlapping layers allow the warrior, sitting in his saddle, to be completely protected around his midsection by the square skirt. The breast of the armor is covered with leather, stenciled in colors with a representation of Fudo Myoo, a Buddhist guardian figure known for its fierce countenance, its calmness, and steady nerve—qualities favored by the Japanese Samurai.

NARRATOR: Additional pieces of armor were worn to complement the yoroi, in order to ensure that the warrior was fully protected. Press PLAY to hear more.