16th century style armor on display for sale

 

Cultural News, 2009 May Issue

During the exhibit “Art of Samurai,” a stunning suit of armor, which would have been worn by a high-ranking samurai during the late Momoyama Era (1573-1615), is displayed for sale in the show window of the gift shop in the Bowers Museum. The exhibition runs through June 14.

The suit of armor was painstakingly crafted by the artists of Marutake Sangyo in Kagoshima Prefecture, the world’s preeminent samurai armor manufacturer.  From period dramas on Japanese TV to Akira Kurosawa’s films, their work can be found not only on the screen, but in the collections of museums, temples and even the Queen of England.

This particular suit of armor was modeled after examples found in historical sources, and was recreated using traditional methods and materials.  The principal parts are made out of lacquered iron, and each piece is meticulously formed and finished by hand. 

Because of the handcrafted nature of this work, this particular armor took 12 weeks to complete, requiring the specialized skills of over 20 different craftsmen. 

The armor at the gift shop display is provided by Samurai Store International in Los Angeles. For information about the armor, contact Darin Furukawa at (323) 541-8281, or email darin@samurai-store.com. 

An armor crafted by a Kagoshima company is on display at the Bowers Museum’s gift shop