For more than half a millennium, the samurai headed Japan’s warrior class. Their armor, weapons and accessories were intended not only for military function, but to denote status and represent the complex cultural world in which these men lived.
Samurai: Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller collection, on exhibit through April 29 at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art in Las Vegas, allows visitors an opportunity to view samurai culture through a broader artistic lens.
More than 50 objects intended for both combat and ceremonial purposes are featured, including lacquered metal helmets and delicate, detailed armor capable of protecting the military nobility and officer caste during battle.
Samurai: Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller collection, at Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. Photo by Bo Davis
The selected pieces represent the evolution of the samurai warrior’s appearance and equipment spanning 600 years, from the 14th to 19th centuries, during which time Japanese society recognized the advancement of these men as a significant honor.
Facial and neck armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum (Courtesy of AGBMM)
Along with advanced warfare skills, samurai were largely literate, trained and educated in calligraphy and poetry.
Zen Buddhism philosophy, which spread from China via Korea in the 12th century, heavily influenced their culture. Many practitioners evolved to find violence, even that which was committed on the battlefield, incompatible with its concepts.
Although this warrior class was extinguished in the late 19th century, elements of its culture, including the Bushido honor code, artistic traditions and formal rituals such as the tea ceremony, have had a lasting impact on the wider Japanese society.
The full samurai collection — consisting of nearly 1,000 pieces — is housed at the free-to-the-public Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum, which opened in 2012 in Dallas’ 18-block master-planned Harwood District.
A Switzerland native from Geneva, Gabriel Barbier-Mueller is the founder and chief executive officer of Harwood International, which developed and manages the Harwood District. He is also an art and antiquities collector.
The warrior collection grew through his activities, along with those of his wife, Ann, and children, Nina and Oliver. Pieces from the collection routinely are taken on traveling exhibitions worldwide.
