Suit of Armor and Helmet Haruta Katsumitsu and Juryo Mitsumasa Japan, Edo period, 1700s iron, silver, lacquer, leather and silk, 45 inches (115 cm) high Gift of John and Celeste Fleming 1978.225 Family Fun

In the Edo period (1615-1868), the armor of the military aristocracy, or samurai, was a symbol of privileged status rather than practical fighting equipment. The owner might have been a high-ranking government bureaucrat or policeman but the code of honor of the time required him to master the arts of both peace and war. The elaborate decoration and intricate chain mail testify to both the wealth of the samurai owner and the skill of the makers, whose signatures are inscribed on the reverse of their handiwork.


To Japan