Surcoat (<i>Jinbaori</i>)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Tokugawa family mon (heraldic badge), consisting of a circle enclosing three holly leaves, is applied to the center of the back in thick black velvet. The lining and the lapels are covered with luxurious silk brocade featuring a repeating pattern of square and round cartouches filled with flower blossoms and pairs of dragons and phoenixes. According to a label attached to it, this surcoat belonged to Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1837–1913), the last Shogun (military ruler) of Japan (reigned 1866–68). He may have worn it during his defeat at the battle of Toba Fushimi (January 2, 1868), a watershed event in the transition from feudalism and the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1868) to the Meiji era and the beginnings of modern Japan.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.

Metropolitan Museum of Art