Japanese screens, known as byōbu, is a folding screen that is literally translated to “protection from the wind”. The original purpose of the screen was to block drafts in traditional open-layout Japanese homes.Although most people think that byōbu screens are unique to Japanese culture, these...
These handy, little sculptures which were often prepared for several months were generally made from hardwood (cherry wood, boxwood) or ivory. Since the netsuke was hanging on a silk cord and all of its sides could be seen, the makers took great care of the...
Not many people know but in ancient Japan, there was a lot of different class of warriors. From average soldiers to middle and high-class samurai. There were huge differences even amongst the samurai, for example: while wealthy samurai relied on underlings to train their new...
By the 14th century, samurai face mask were added to the Samurai armors to serve as a protection for the head and the face from cuttings.There are 4 types of mask designs that came into general use in Japan: happuri (which covers the forehead and cheeks), hanbō (covers...
The Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyokai (日本美術刀剣保存協会) (NBTHK) or Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords is an agency of the Japanese government whose remit is the registration and preservation of antique swords. The NBTHK is also responsible for the Japanese Sword Museum in...
When we handle a signed Japanese work of art we tend to illude ourselves that it has been made by a single person, the artist himself. This can certainly be true for some kind of items, like paintings and calligraphy, but when a lot of...
Between 1600 and 1615 Japan was unified under the Tokugawa shogunate and the capital was moved to Edo (Tokyo). A series of rules for the samurai class is established (Buke Sho-Hatto), with precise requirements in both civil and military arts. Above all, these laws required...
In Japan, art and antiques have been somehow subjected to certification by some authority for a very long time. The most common way of doing that was an inscription on the object’s box, named tomobako: these wooden boxes were made originally for tea ceremony utensils...
Most collectors of original Japanese samurai armor do not have room to buy many sets and tend then to focalize on smaller parts, like kabuto (Japanese helmet) and menpo (samurai mask). The main reason for this choice is that these two parts are those made by the important Japanese...
Menpō is a general term to indicate a protection for the face in a Japanese samurai armor. It is generally made of iron but leather ones (nerikawa) are not rare.There are mainly three types of menpō: one that would cover only the chin (hanbo or...