Lords of the Samurai at the Asian Art Museum

June 28, 6:04 PMSF Art ExaminerMarisa Nakasone

Previous

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the SF Art Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

From the epic films of Kurosawa, to hyperbolic Hollywood action films, to kitschy cartoons (i.e. Samurai Pizza Cats???)  the legend and lore of the samurai continues to permeate the pop cultural imagination.  The Asian Art Museum's special exhibition, Lords of the Samurai, brings to light the history and traditions of the samurai and daimyo (provincial lords)  and helps viewers to distinguish between historical fact and fiction while deepening our appreciation for Japanese culture. 

(Pictured above: Haramaki-type armor, black leather lacing, red cord horizontal accent lacing (katadori) on shoulder protectors, worn by Hosokawa Narimori (1806–1861), Japan. Edo period (1615–1868), 19th century. Iron, leather, lacquer, silk, and gilt metal. Eisei-Bunko Museum, 4111. © Eisei Bunko, Japan.)

“Culture and arms are like the two wings of a bird, so just as it’s impossible to fly with

one wing missing, if you have culture but no arms, people will slight you without fear,

while if you have arms but no culture, people will be alienated by fear.”

—From Instructions for Japanese Men

by Izawa Nagahide (samurai-scholar active approx. 1711–1732)

This exhibition not only features beautifully maintained suits of armour, weaponry, and paintings of battle scenes, but also features art and handiwork produced by samurai.  As described in the excerpt from Izawa Nagahide's writing, Instructions for Japanese Men, the ideal Japanese male leader was not only a disciplined warrior but also masters of cultural and spiritual endeavors.  The beautifully crafted lacquer box set pictured above was created by Hosokawa Sansai, a member of the reputable Hosokawa warrior clan.  One of the highlights of the exhibition include paintings and manuscripts by the legendary swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi. 

Sake bottle and food box set (sagej?) in the shape of an eggplant, by Hosokawa Sansai (aka Tadaoki, 1563–1646), Japan. Edo period (1615–1868), 17th century. Lacquered wood. Eisei-Bunko Museum, 6535. © Eisei Bunko, Japan.

Izawa Nagahide excerpt courtesy of the Asian Art Museum.

A once in a lifetime opportunity, this exhibition features rarely-travelling, personal heirlooms of the Hosokawa family, whose lineage traces back hundreds of years and whose members have held positions as prominent military warriors, statesmen, and even the title of prime minister.  The Eisei-Bunko museum in Tokyo as well as the family's former residence, Kumamoto Castle, currently house most of the Hosokawa family's collection.  Three of the works in this collection have been named Important Art Objects, a title reserved for pieces of high historical and cultural significance.  Because many of the pieces in this exhibition are priceless and fragile, the museum will rotate new pieces into the exhibition on August third. 

Ceremonial long sword (tachi) blade, signed “Moriie zo” (Made By Moriie), Japan. Kamakura period (1185–1333), 13th century. Forged and tempered steel. Eisei-Bunko Museum, 1784. © Eisei Bunko, Japan.

Some very awesome public programs coming up:

TARGET FAMILY SUNDAY: Free admission on July 5, 2009.  There will be two screenings of classic, Akira Kurosawa films throughout the day.

(info via Asian Art Museum press office)

Films by Akira Kurosawa
Arguably the most celebrated Japanese filmmaker of all time, Akira Kurosawa had a career that spanned from the Second World War to the early nineties and that stands as a monument of artistic, entertainment, and personal achievement. With the production of Seven Samurai (1954), the most popular and important Japanese film of its time, Kurosawa began a long and fruitful obsession with medieval Japan. Kurosawa pioneered widescreen cinematography in Japan, and his films inspired the “Spaghetti Western” genre in Italy. Kurosawa reinvigorated the samurai film genre in Japan and revitalized the American Western in the process.

11:00 am
Yojimbo (The Bodyguard)
Japan, 1961, 110 minutes, Black and White, DVD, not rated
Japanese with English subtitles

The incomparable Toshiro Mifune stars in Akira Kurosawa’s visually stunning and darkly comic Yojimbo. To rid a terror-stricken village of corruption, wily masterless samurai Sanjuro turns a war between two evil clans to his own advantage. Remade twice, by Sergio Leone (A Fistful of Dollars) and Walter Hill (Last Man Standing), this exhilarating genre-twister remains one of the most influential films ever produced.

 
2:00 pm
Sanjuro
Japan, 1962, 96 minutes, Black and White, DVD, not rated
Japanese with English subtitles

Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Akira Kurosawa’s tightly paced Sanjuro. In this sly companion piece to Yojimbo, the jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan’s evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a “proper” samurai on its ear.