Lethal Beauty: Samurai Weapons and Armor

“祇園精舎の鐘の聲、諸行無常の響き有り。 沙羅雙樹の花の色、盛者必衰の理を顯す。 驕れる者も久しからず、唯春の夜の夢の如し。 猛き者も遂には滅びぬ、偏に風の前の塵に同じ。”

“The sound of the Gion Shōja bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the Sāla flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline. The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night; the mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind.”

— Excerpt from The Tale of the Heike, translated by Helen Craig McCullough

“The ‘Lethal Beauty’ show certainly delivers on both aspects of its title.”

— Donald Munro, The Fresno Bee

The striking duality of deadly weaponry forged with artistic grace was on full display in this remarkable exhibition of 63 works by master craftsmen of the 13th to 20th centuries. Lethal Beauty featured exquisite specimens of the art of war, including full suits of armor, helmets, warrior hats, face masks, long and short swords, daggers, rifles, and more.

Tales of the samurai have enchanted people since the 12th century and continue to delight and captivate audiences today. The oldest sword in the exhibition dated from the 13th century but was so finely crafted that it might have been new. The exhibition also showcased a pair of 17th century folding screens by a Kano school artist and a seven-piece set of 17th century sword fittings, both depicting battle scenes from The Tale of the Heike, the illustrious Japanese warrior epic that marks the dawn of samurai honor, valor, and fortitude.

The exhibition was accompanied by a color-illustrated catalogue and was curated by Dr. Andreas Marks, the director and chief curator of the Clark Center for Japanese Art & Culture.

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