Samurai @ The British Museum

[Xue Sheng98]

View attachment 33917

Nice photos. A friend of mine once had a full set of samurai armor similar to the above (replica of course) seated the same way, in a section of his living room. He also had a katana, Wakizashi, and Tanto mounted on the wall next to it. I use to tell him he was a very brave man with those swords so easily accessible. His wife was Japanese, and a Kendo blackbelt, trained in Japan. And she could reach the katana quite easily

 

[Same Trick49]

I am very powerful

Hmmm, at least you take very nice photos

 

[opr1945101]

I have noticed that the helmets always seem very decorative (?). Especially the decorations extending upwards. Are they functional or just decorative?

ps, Perhaps, a poor selection of words on my part. No offense intended.

 

[Same Trick49]

I have noticed that the helmets always seem very decorative (?). Especially the decorations extending upwards. Are they functional or just decorative?

ps, Perhaps, a poor selection of words on my part. No offense intended.

Probably signaling clan and rank ??

I think the face-masks/guards are very fascinating

 

[Gyakuto104]

I have noticed that the helmets always seem very decorative (?). Especially the decorations extending upwards. Are they functional or just decorative?

Most of these decorative helmets were from the Edō period which was categorized by 256 years of peace, so function was overtaken by ostentation where leige lords would display their wealth and elevated status. When battles were common, the helmets tended to be more utilitarian and much simpler.

When I visited the ‘keeper of Japanese antiquities’ at the BM as a young man, he took me down to the bowels of the museum to show me around. He handed me a warring state period (1467-1615) helmet and told me to put it on! He rather dismissively said one of his female colleagues found many samurai skulls from battlefields that had cuts on the top of their skulls. She speculated that they had special techniques where the could get their blades under their enemy’s helmet and cut them. He said to me, Now you’ve been wearing that helmet for a few minutes, what would you do on the battlefield?”. “I said I’d take it off and fight; it weighed a ton! “Yes, that’s what I would do…” he replied

 

[Stuarto65]

When I was walking around the British Museum I was thinking, ‘I bet this is all run-of-the-mill compared with what they have in the USA!’ Your museums are amazing despite not once having an Empire to steal artifacts!

It might have to be a long time until I can visit the USA but I live in hope

Visiting Great Britain is also on my list of places to visit. I have always been into that history. It is true, we have some great museums in the US. Massachusetts in particular has some amazing museums and history.

 

[Gyakuto104]

Probably signaling clan and rank ??

Yes but that made them potential targets! The generals sat a long way back from the front line!

I think the face-masks/guards are very fascinating

Like this ‘menpo’?

 

[Gyakuto104]

 

[opr1945101]

looks like same trick.

 

[Buka20]

No it’s expressly forbidden. The images you see are psychically uploaded from my mind’s eye

I hear you, brother.

I went to the Gardner Museum with my mom when I was thirteen, had my little Kodak camera with me. I got yelled at by a guard for trying to take a photo.

Yelling at a thirteen year old from my neighborhood was taken as a challenge. I took a lot of photos that day.

That same museum, twentyfive years later, had the biggest art heist in American history. They never caught the thieves or recovered any of the artwork, but everyone in the city of Boston from back then knows who it was and what country the paintings have been in since.
Ah, well.

 

[Wing Woo Gar38]

View attachment 33912
View attachment 33913

Just effing WOW!

 

[Same Trick49]

View attachment 33932

No mouthguard ?

No, I think they’re really cool, just that piece of armor would suit me if I was into collectibles

 

[Same Trick49]

looks like same trick.

I think my avatar is from some Japanese manga(comics) it was probably inspired from those masks….or Gyakuto

 

[Fungus95]

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Fungus95]

View attachment 33932

Lord Garmadon himself, the master of destruction!

 

[Steve]

I think my avatar is from some Japanese manga(comics) it was probably inspired from those masks….or Gyakuto

It’s from dragonball z, I think. Pretty sure. My kids all read manga and I’ve watched a lot of anime with them over the years.

 

[Tez31]

The Royal Armouries in Leeds has a good Japanese collection plus a lot of weapons from many countries and ages. It's well worth a visit. They have demonstrations of different weapons, Bo and Jo when we went and jousting too.

 

[Gyakuto104]

The Royal Armouries in Leeds has a good Japanese collection plus a lot of weapons from many countries and ages. It's well worth a visit. They have demonstrations of different weapons, Bo and Jo when we went and jousting too.

Yes, one of the curators, Ian Bottomly, was a student in our dojo (Halifax)…for a short time. He used to takes us into the special areas for private viewings of Japanese swords!

I used to love going over there for the day…

 

[Xue Sheng98]

The Royal Armouries in Leeds has a good Japanese collection plus a lot of weapons from many countries and ages. It's well worth a visit. They have demonstrations of different weapons, Bo and Jo when we went and jousting too.

And you hve just given me a place to visit, should I ever get to England

 

[Steve]

The Royal Armouries in Leeds has a good Japanese collection plus a lot of weapons from many countries and ages. It's well worth a visit. They have demonstrations of different weapons, Bo and Jo when we went and jousting too.

Sounds pretty cool.