Samurais: treasuries of the Japanese Daimyo

Armour in ROKUMAIDO GUSOKU style with dark blue lacing
Edo period, the XVIIIth century.
Lacquered iron and leather, copper, silk; embossing, engraving, gilding
Sword mounting in ITOMAKI TACHI style with chrysanthemum and paulownia crests on NASHIJI laquer ground
Edo period, the XVIIIth century.
Wood, nashiji laquer, silk braid, shakudo alloy (made of copper and gold and used for sword fittings); inlaid with gold
Set of KATANA sword mounting for DAISHO (a matched pair of long and short swords)
Edo period, the XIXth century.
Black lacquered wood, shakudo alloy (made of copper and gold and used for sword fittings), shagreen, braid; inlaid with gold, carving
WAKIZASHI sword mounting with WAKA-NO URA design on IKAKEJI ground
Edo period, the XIXth century.
Lacquered wood with ikakeji decoration with gold powder
KOSODE garment with patterns of bamboo fence, drooping cherry and hieroglyphs on white figured satin
Edo period, the XVIIIth century.
Figured satin, weaving, embroidery, printed cloth
TENMOKY tea bowl stand with peonies in cinnabar lacquer carving
China, Ming dynasty, the XVth century.
Wood; red lacquer, carving
UCHIKAKE garment with vine and cypress fan design on red figured satin
Edo period, the XVIIIth-XIXth centuries.
Figured satin; weaving, embroidery, tie-dyeing, applique' work
Noh mask HEITA
Edo period, the XVIIth-XVIIIth centuries.
Wood with polychromy; carving
Cosmetic set with bamboo lozenges and hollyhock crests design
Part of paraphernalia of Tokugawa Toyo-hime.
Edo period, dated 1816 (Bunka 13).
Wood; maki-e lacquer
Noh mask MAMBI
Azuchi-Momoyama period - Edo period, the XVIth-XVII centuries.
Wood with polychromy; carving

May, 21 - July, 16, 2008

the Assumption Belfry and One-Pillar Chamber of the Patriarch's Palace

Organized by:: Moscow Kremlin Museums, Tokyo National Museum

01# Armour in ROKUMAIDO GUSOKU style with dark blue lacing The exhibition, composed of items from collection of the Tokyo National Museum, continues a long-term programme of the Moscow Kremlin museums as a topical display among the others, i.e. exhibitions from the Louvre, Vienna's Museum of Art History, State Hermitage museum, Dresden Green Vault, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.

Enthusiasm for "Bushido", a code of conduct, and interest in culture of the Japanese military nobility have largely increased in recent years. "Samurai" means "a warrior" in Japan, but the very word "samurai" is derived from the archaic Japanese verb "samorau", changed to "saburau", meaning "to serve"; thus, first of all, a samurai is a servant of a lord. With time samurais have preserved enough arms and armour to perform the duty of security guards for a court nobility. By the XIIth century they came to power and developed an independent society with their own traditions, art and aesthetics. That highly educated, literate people have made an important contribution to culture and political relations of Japan with other countries.

The exhibition presents over 70 unique artworks relating to a long period from the Xth to XXth century, i.e. arming, cold steel, utensils for tea ceremonies, costumes and dresses of the Noh theatre, articles of everyday life (clothes, jewellery, household stuff), which testify samurais' high level of education, accomplishment, technical skills. The most part of the collection dates from the Edo period (1603-1868), known as the end of internal wars and beginning of the early modern period of Japan. At that date the Japanese appeared in the territory of Russia thus initiated an interaction between our countries. In a certain way the represented exhibits reveal a history of those centuries-old Russo-Japanese cultural relations.

The exhibition consists of two thematic sections, illustrating multiple aspects of samurai: "Arms and Armour", devoted to swords and armour, and "Culture of Samurai", which introduces audience to costumes for Noh performance and tea ceremony implements. Also the display includes garments and a wedding set for woman of samurai families.