Samurai Splendor: Sword Fittings from Edo Japan
Japanese Art Society of America
Zoom lecture, Thursday, April 28, 5pm

This lecture by Markus Sesko, Associate Curator of Asian Arms and Armor at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accompanies the current exhibition at the Met with the same name. The focus is on sword furniture of the Edo period, a time of economic growth, prolonged peace, and widespread enjoyment of the arts and culture, yet with strict class separation and rigid regulations for all. As a result, the ruling class, the samurai, had only a few ways to express personal taste. The furniture of their swords, which were an indispensable symbol of their power and authority, became one of the most important means of self-expression and a focal point of artistic creation.

This exhibition and lecture explore the luxurious aspect of sword fashion from Edo period Japan, a fascinating area of Japanese arms and armor rarely featured in exhibitions outside of Japan. It presents a selection of exquisite sword mountings, fittings, and related objects, including sword-fittings maker’s sketchbooks, all drawn from The Met’s collection, many of which have rarely or never been exhibited.

Note: Advance registration is required for this event. Read more and to register, click here