The Forgotten Warrior-Daniel Dixon

User-created

This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.

This gallery includes representations of the honorable Samurai Warrior, founding fathers of Bushido or the way of the warrior. Trained from birth and honored to die on the battlefield, the moral code of the Samurai truly embodied the warrior spirit. This forgotten warrior and honorable code also known as the "Soul of Japan", help to strengthen the nations morale during this time of constant war.

Arm Asia Japan, 1920, From the collection of: LIFE Photo Collection
This piece is a woodblock print with a decorative border depicting the Samurai in full armor. Although its a black and white image its very detailed. Even with the lack of color you still get a sense of how intricate Samurai armor is.The artist seem to have drawn the Samurai in motion, showing elegance even in full armor.
1920, From the collection of: LIFE Photo Collection
This is a painting of a Samurai in full regalia. In this full color piece you are able to see a representation of the brilliant colors worn by the samurai. You cannot see the heavy leather or plated armor usually worn by the Samurai in battle so this may be depicting a training session. This could be true considering the Samurai is holding a Naginata, the long spear weapon.
1900, From the collection of: LIFE Photo Collection
This is a hand-printed photograph of a Samurai practicing Kyudo, the art of the bow or Yabusame, the art of mounted archery. The color is not as vibrant as some other pieces but you do get a sense of realism. Not only is the Samurai in full armor it also shows the "decoration" worn by the Samurai's horse as they rode into combat.
Japanese demon mask (theatrical), 1900/1950, From the collection of: Casa Museo Alberto Moravia
This is a carving of a theatrical Japanese devil mask like the ones worn by the Samurai into battle. Its a simple mold with dark hue but is very accurate in its representation. The Japanese devil mask represent various deities and ghost that the Samurai would use to strike fear on the battlefield.
Japanese suit of armour, Japanase workshop, 1570 - 1725, From the collection of: Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas
This is a representation of the Samurai heavy armor. The materials used were meant to be protective but functional. The rich colors used in this piece were meant to be more than decorative. Generally the armourers would use the colors to differentiate between the different clans or ranks inside the clans.
Samurai suit of armor, Unknown, Late 16th – early 17th century, mid-Edo period, From the collection of: The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
This is a more direct representation of the Samurai heavy armor. Represented by the crossed eagle feathers this armor is said to be worn by the Asano and Kubo families. The materials and color palette used in this particular is also a representation of the death of the family this Samurai was sworn to protect.
Japanese Print, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1847 - 1848, From the collection of: Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas
This is a color print on a plain background. Although the image of the Samurai is surrounded by Japanese characters, the Samurai in full body armor is brought to the forefront in this piece. The rich colors used are meant to give the feeling of heroism. This image depicts one of the 47 Ronin. The story of the 47 Ronin is considered to one of the greatest representation of Bushido in the history of japan.
Fritz Goro, 1944-05, From the collection of: LIFE Photo Collection
This is a black and white photo of a traditional suit of Knight's armor standing next to a suit of Samurai heavy armor. This is a great contrast piece. Samurai with a very similar code of honor were often compared to the Knights of old. The suits of armor are almost identical in protection and functionality. Although there were different different materials used, you can visually see similarities in the two pieces.
1920, From the collection of: LIFE Photo Collection
This piece is a black and white print of a Samurai in full armor. The image of the Samurai here is drawn in a more peaceful manor. There is very light print behind the Samurai but the Samurai is the center focal point of the piece.The lines are a little muddy but I feel it still adds to the detail.
Samurai with Raised Sword, Felice Beato, 1863, From the collection of: The J. Paul Getty Museum
This image is a photo of a Samurai standing in a strong forward battle stance. Even though the image is a "brown" faded image you can see the distinct color of the battle armor. The time period of this piece was nearing the end of the reign of the Samurai. Because of this I feel its ironic that the most prominent image in the piece is the white bandana worn by the Samurai. This to me is reminiscent of the ones worn by the kamikaze pilots of WWII.
Credits: All media
This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.
Google apps