後藤家歴代揃目貫献上箱 Presentation Box for Sword-Grip Ornaments (<i>Menuki</i>)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

During the relatively peaceful Edo period (1615–1868), sword fittings became collectible items. This is especially true of those made by the prestigious Gōtō family, purveyors to the shogun and the upper echelons of the warrior society for seventeen generations, beginning in the sixteenth century. The most desirable collections contained fittings by each of the Gōtō masters. This chest houses sword-grip ornaments (menuki) from the first fifteen generations of Gōtō artists, with the makers’ names inscribed in gold lacquer on the drawers. Chests like this were often exchanged as gifts among elite samurai on special occasions such as a raise in rank, a marriage, or the birth of a child.

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