Japan has, since its ancient and medieval periods, produced an abundance of famous swords revered as examples of superb craftsmanship and the samurai sense of beauty. Over the past several years, with heightened interest in Japanese art, swords have become a growing focus of attention.
The Suntory Museum of Art has, ever since we opened in 1961, made “Art in Life” our governing concept. This fall we celebrate the 60th anniversary of our opening. Over these decades, we have frequently exhibited works of art and historical materials associated with famous warriors. It hardly needs saying that swords and armor were the cherished essence of samurai lives and the samurai way of life.
For this exhibition, we have assembled rare and precious swords donated to historic Shinto shrines and revered Buddhist temples, primarily in Kyoto and the surrounding Kinki region. These swords each have traditions associated with them and have been cherished, handed down, and preserved over the centuries. Some signify the exorcism of evil, others are associated with famous warriors who carried them or epic tales in which them appear. Other are superb examples of the sword-smith’s craft or are known for the persons who preserved and handed them down to us.
The Suntory Museum of Art’s collection includes Conquest of Shuten-dōji picture scrolls by Kanō Motonobu. This work depicts the famous warrior Minamoto no Yorimitsu leading Watanabe no Tsuna and the other three of the Four Guardian Kings into action. The exhibition presents, legends of warriors and swords in monogatari-e and ukiyo-e, through which we can also trace changes in them. As you examine these picture scrolls of battles, brimming with immediacy and the outfitting of warriors with swords, armor, and other equipment to set out to battle, please also observe how they trained their horses, practiced martial arts, and lived their daily lives. Paintings depicting samurai customs and related historic materials draw attention to the everyday in samurai lives.
Through this exhibition, which spans Japan’s ancient, medieval, and early modern history, we hope to make it possible for more people to appreciate the depth and fascination of Japanese sword culture and the aweinspiring sense of beauty instilled in samurai hearts,