Surcoat (<i>Jinbaori</i>)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This surcoat features a sacred volcano motif, possibly representing Mount Fuji. It is also decorated with the crest (mon) of the Mori family, one of the most powerful daimyo clans of the nineteenth century. Using imported European wool, called rasha in Japan, it was skillfully made as a detailed copy of a famous seventeenth-century surcoat, which is now in the collection of the Osaka Castle Museum.

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