Samurai Swagger and Their Sensational Suits
Description/Abstract/Artist Statement
The presentation explores the ceremonial samurai armor on display in the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia. Much has been written on the samurai period and its players; a mythology has been established. The samurai’s prominence in Japanese society began to dwindle during the Edo era 1618-1863. The country was relatively peaceful in its international isolation, but major political and societal changes took place then, shifting traditional Japanese principles and creating a sword into plowshare mindset. The presentation argues that these changes ultimately led to the making of the new type of ceremonial armor at the time when the opening of Japan set the stage for a massive cultural exchange and made Japanese historical practices accessible to the world.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Agnieszka B. Whelan
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Disciplines
Asian Art and Architecture
Session Title
Art History 1 Presentations
Location
Learning Commons @ Perry Library, Room 1306
Start Date
2-3-2018 9:00 AM
End Date
2-3-2018 10:00 AM
Samurai Swagger and Their Sensational Suits
Learning Commons @ Perry Library, Room 1306
The presentation explores the ceremonial samurai armor on display in the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia. Much has been written on the samurai period and its players; a mythology has been established. The samurai’s prominence in Japanese society began to dwindle during the Edo era 1618-1863. The country was relatively peaceful in its international isolation, but major political and societal changes took place then, shifting traditional Japanese principles and creating a sword into plowshare mindset. The presentation argues that these changes ultimately led to the making of the new type of ceremonial armor at the time when the opening of Japan set the stage for a massive cultural exchange and made Japanese historical practices accessible to the world.