Samurai and the culture of Japan's great peace / Fabian Drixler, William D. Fleming, Robert George Wheeler.

Catalog of an exhibition at the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, March 28, 2015 through January 3, 2016.

Samurai and the culture of Japan's great peace / Fabian Drixler -- Before the great peace / Fabian Drixler with contributions by Robert George Wheeler -- The art and science of the sword / Fabian Drixler with Robert George Wheeler and contributions by William D. Fleming -- Edo and the architecture of the great peace / Fabian Drixler with William D. Fleming and contributions by Robert George Wheeler -- Armament or ornament? / Fabian Drixler -- Samurai aesthetics : extravagance and restraint / William D. Fleming with Robert George Wheeler and Fabian Drixler -- The samurai imagined / William D. Fleming -- Death and the good life / Fabian Drixler with contributions by William D. Fleming -- Forbidden waters and foreign knowledge / William D. Fleming and Fabian Drixler -- Japan in Ainu lands / Fabian Drixler with contributions by Robert George Wheeler -- The opening of Japan, the closing of the great peace / Fabian Drixler -- The Yale collectors / Robert George Wheeler and William D. Fleming -- Catalog of the exhibition.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 121-123) and index.

The samurai, Japan's medieval and early modern military nobility, have for centuries captivated imaginations far beyond the confines of their own time and culture. This beautifully illustrated volume presents a large and diverse selection of samurai treasures from the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History's renowned collection of Japanese artifacts. Among the fascinating objects are recently restored swords, scabbards, and armor, along with an array of prints, dishes, tea ceremony utensils, netsukes, scroll paintings, and other items suggestive of unexpectedly tranquil pursuits. The book introduces the samurai not only as warriors but also as keepers of the longest peace any large society has ever known. Although swords and armor reflect the military foundation of samurai culture, they also reveal the central importance of artistry and craftsmanship. In addition, such other treasured articles as woodblock prints, theater masks, and lacquered food bowls shed new light on the traditions of the samurai during their final era of peace.