Introduction | Edo Style | Samurai | Work | Religion | Travel | Entertainment
SAMURAI
The samurai class, representing a mere seven to ten percent of the population, owed its power and status to its prowess on the battlefield. But with the advent of nationwide peace, these warriors were forced to become civil bureaucrats. Although they continued to practice the military arts, they also applied themselves increasingly to the arts of peace that were deemed necessary to carry out their administrative duties. In 1615 Tokugawa Ieyasu promulgated a code for the warrior class that stipulated: "The arts of peace and war, including archery and horsemanship, should be pursued singlemindedly. From days [of old] the rule has been to practice the ‘arts of peace on the left hand and the arts of war on the right’: both must be mastered" (Tsunoda et al., 1964, 326). In keeping with this injunction, most samurai studied Chinese history and literature and took up at least one of the four traditional gentlemanly arts of painting, calligraphy, poetry, and chess. Yet preserving all the symbolic trappings of their military tradition remained paramount.
Growing distance from the realities of war contributed to the idealization of the martial life. The cult of Bushido, the way of the warrior, encapsulated many principles central to this martial ideal. It emphasized valor and loyalty to one’s feudal lord as well as the samurai’s obligation to provide moral and political leadership. Although these values had long been part of the warrior’s ethic, Bushido assumed its mature form in the Edo period only through the influence of Confucianism.
In
the absence of actual warfare, samurai developed elaborate rituals through
which to display their martial spirit. They demonstrated their skill at
horseback riding, shooting with a bow and arrow, and, of course, swordsmanship
at ceremonial sporting events. To create an impressive spectacle, daimyo
donned armor when marching between Edo and their feudal domains. Since
functional considerations were secondary, these were often highly decorative
and finely crafted of the most costly materials. A pair of matching swords,
one large and one small, the badge of samurai status, was worn at all
times. Because of their symbolic value and intrinsic beauty, samurai of
means often amassed many more swords than they could actually use. Ancient
swords, such as those made by the legendary swordsmith Masamune, were
especially treasured by such collectors.
Hotei and Fighting Cocks
A
bulging sack over his shoulders and a staff propping up his arms, Hotei,
one of the seven gods of good fortune, looks down benignly at a pair of
fighting cocks. A semi-legendary figure in the Buddhist pantheon of saints
and sages, who was popularly believed to bestow wealth and good luck,
Hotei was a frequent subject for amateur ink painters. A masterless samurai,
Miyamoto Musashi was one of the greatest swordsmen of his day. He also
studied Zen Buddhism and cultivated the
arts, becoming highly accomplished in the minimalist style favored by
monk painters of the Zen sect. In this unusual work, executed with only
a few simple brushstrokes and broad washes of ink, he invites the viewer
to contemplate the possibility of reconciling the pursuit of Buddhist
enlightenment with that of the martial arts.
Helmet
with rabbit's ears
Presenting an imposing appearance was important to warriors in times of war and peace. As the opportunities to display prowess on the battlefield waned, warriors increasingly sought to draw attention to themselves by commissioning inventively shaped helmets that emphasized craftsmanship at the expense of protective function. This helmet combines tall rabbit’s ears made from papier mâché covered with silver foil and lacquer, a metal brow plate hammered into wrinkles, and a crescent moon of leather decorated with silver leaf. Although the effect may appear humorous to the modern viewer, the wearer may have chosen this design because the rabbit and the moon had connotations of immortality.
Jinbaori with ship's sails
Amply
proportioned garments like this were originally designed to be worn over
armor, to protect their wearers from rain and cold. Yet design rather
than function was uppermost in the mind of the craftsman who fashioned
this garment for Maeda Shigehiro, daimyo of Kaga domain. Its eye-catching
design shows European ships with wind-filled sails and cresting waves
on the back, and sleeves decorated with a dramatic sawtooth motif. The
material from which this coat was made, its shape, and the motifs decorating
it reveal the influence of the Portuguese and Spanish, who introduced
both wool and European fashions to Japan during the sixteenth century.
Although Portuguese ships were not permitted entry into Japanese ports
during the Edo period, their striking appearance and exotic connotations
made them enduring decorative motifs.
Introduction | Edo Style | Samurai | Work | Religion | Travel | Entertainment