Samurai and the Culture of Japan’s Great Peace

Through artifacts from the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History and other collections at Yale University, this lavishly illustrated volume takes readers on a journey into Japanandrsquo;s early modern cultural and political history. It also offers tantalizing glimpses of medieval Japan and the technology underlying the material culture of the samurai. Some objects are dazzling aesthetic and technical feats: impossibly intricate lacquerware, swords as bright and sharp as the day they were forged, and glittering suits of armor from daimyo collections. Others are more unassuming, but equally capable of evoking visions of a lost world. Readers will encounter commoners alternately fearful of samurai violence and swept up in the romance of the cult of loyalty; artists and writers conjuring scenes of adventure and wit; families reaching out to departed kin across the chasm of death; parents deciding whether to raise or reject a newborn baby; underground Christians hiding their faith behind a Buddhist icon; and Japanese artifacts that take on new meanings in Ainu villages and the parlors of New England collectors.

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This book covers some well-known facets of Japanese history, but also features cutting-edge research. Like the exhibition from which it emerges, it is designed to be engaging and accessible to the general public while offering experts new information and perspectives.

andldquo;Ambitious and well-rounded.andrdquo;andmdash;Publishers Weekly

An exquisite collection of objects relating to the traditions of samurai warriors, from swords and armor to dishes and paintings

An exquisite collection of objects relating to the traditions of samurai warriors, from swords and armor to dishes and paintings
Through artifacts from the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History and other collections at Yale University, this lavishly illustrated volume takes readers on a journey into Japan's early modern cultural and political history. It also offers tantalizing glimpses of medieval Japan and the technology underlying the material culture of the samurai. Some objects are dazzling aesthetic and technical feats: impossibly intricate lacquerware, swords as bright and sharp as the day they were forged, and glittering suits of armor from daimyo collections. Others are more unassuming, but equally capable of evoking visions of a lost world. Readers will encounter commoners alternately fearful of samurai violence and swept up in the romance of the cult of loyalty; artists and writers conjuring scenes of adventure and wit; families reaching out to departed kin across the chasm of death; parents deciding whether to raise or reject a newborn baby; underground Christians hiding their faith behind a Buddhist icon; and Japanese artifacts that take on new meanings in Ainu villages and the parlors of New England collectors.
This book covers some well-known facets of Japanese history, but also features cutting-edge research. Like the exhibition from which it emerges, it is designed to be engaging and accessible to the general public while offering experts new information and perspectives.

The samurai, Japanandrsquo;s medieval and early modern military nobility, have for centuries captivated imaginations far beyond the confines of their own time and culture. This beautifully illustrated volume presents a large and diverse selection of samurai treasures from the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural Historyandrsquo;s renowned collection of Japanese artifacts. Among the fascinating objects are recently restored swords, scabbards, and armor, along with an array of prints, dishes, tea ceremony utensils, netsukes, scroll paintings, and other items suggestive of unexpectedly tranquil pursuits.

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The book introduces the samurai not only as warriors but also as keepers of the longest peace any large society has ever known. Although swords and armor reflect the military foundation of samurai culture, they also reveal the central importance of artistry and craftsmanship. In addition, such other treasured articles as woodblock prints, theater masks, and lacquered food bowls shed new light on the traditions of the samurai during their final era of peace.

Fabian Drixlerand#160;is associate professor of history at Yale University.and#160;William D. Flemingand#160;is assistant professor of East Asian languages and literatures and theater studies at Yale University.and#160;Robert George Wheelerand#160;is the Harold Hodgkinson Professor Emeritus of Engineering and Applied Science, professor emeritus of applied physics, and professor emeritus of physics at Yale University, and a faculty affiliate in anthropology at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.