Parures des samouraïs

The samurai warriors of medieval Japan had richly ornamented armour. Fourteen such elements from the 14th to the 18th century can be found in this composition designed by Aline Honoré. At the centre is a suit of armour in bronze, iron, gold, leather, silk and lacquer, crafted by two armourers of the Myochin school. This adornment from the Edo period (1615-1868) is certain to have belonged to a daïmio – a rich landowner. The ornamental details feature floral motifs or clan coats of arms. These pieces are preserved at the Ann & Gabriel Barbier‑Mueller Museum in Dallas, United States. This private collection of samurai armour put together by the 3rd and 4th generations of the great art‑collecting family, the Barbier-Muellers, contains close to a thousand pieces and is one of the largest of its kind in the world.