Goodbye Samurai!

It has been a priveldge for Bowers Museum to host Art of the Samurai: Selections from the Tokyo National Museum. Over 18,000 visitors came to see first hand the exquisite craftsmanship evident in each of the objects on display. Those who didn’t get a chance to see the exhibition can still purchase a copy of the catalog from our gift shop that bears the same title – it beautifully pictures and describes each object that was included in the exhibition. After viewing Art of the Samurai our visitors overwhelmingly agreed that the exhibition gave them a stronger appreciation for samurai culture and clearly understood that samurai were a highly cultured class of people, who in addition to the art of battle, mastered and surrounded themselves with other forms of art.

These images show representatives from the Tokyo National Museum as they prepare each object for shipment. As with every exhibition, specially trained handlers traveled with the exhibition to examine the condition of each object before placing it into its display case. The same team of museum professionals returned at the end of the exhibition to once again check the objects' conditions and pack them in special archival materials and packaging built to each object’s specifications. The man dusting the katana sword is wearing a mask to keep any moisture he may exhale away from the iron blade in an effort to prevent corrosion. Assembling and dissembling the rokumaido gusoku style armor was a careful and time consuming process as there are many components to the overall garment including the two crescent shaped wakidate on both sides of the helmet.

All images and text under copyright. Please ask Collection Department for permission to use.

Incan Storage Bottle

Photograph by Minshu Wang

Storage Vessel (urpu), 15th – early 16th century
Inca people; Peru
Ceramic and glaze; 13 x 11 x 9 in.
F81.18.1

This spouted vessel with conical base, side handles and a central lug with a stylized animal face represents one of the most common types of ceramic vessels from the Incan empire. These types of vessels are referred to as Cuzco bottles (Cuzco was the capital of the Incan empire) or as aryballos, the word used to describe similar globular jars used in ancient Greece. Built using a coiling technique, these types of vessels were designed for optimal functionality. They were used to hold water, probably food and chicha, a fermented corn beer which played a role in Incan ceremony. Transporting the jars was made easy with the use of ropes which were placed through the handles and then wrapped around the central lug; this allowed the jar to be carried on one’s back. The pointed base made it possible to stand the vessel upright when it was set into soft or sandy earth. The two small pierced lugs directly under the rim of the spout held a cover in place which prevented unwanted debris falling inside and from contents spilling out. The warm honey-orange color was produced through oxidation that occurred during the firing process; the bands of designs were made using slip that was applied by hand before firing. The vessel is a perfect example of the elegance the Inca applied to even the most utilitarian of objects.

All images and text under copyright. Please contact Collection Department for permission to use.

Tlingit Raven Rattle

Photograph by Minshu Wang

Raven Rattle, late 19th century
Tlingit Culture; Fort Wrangell, Alaska
Wood, paint and cedar twine; 14 x 4.25 in.
Gift of the John J. Burkhard Family
89.34.1

This Tlingit ceremonial rattle is carved in two sections and bound together with cedar twine. The rattle is intricately designed with various stylized animals and a human figure, perhaps of shamanic status. As with the large majority of Northwest coast rattles, the main body takes the shape of a raven. Within its openwork carved beak is a box which, according to legend, is filled with the light Raven stole from the heavens and carried to a once lightless earth. Upon the raven’s back the human figure reclines - his arms merge with his hands and bent legs. The figure’s mouth is open revealing a long tongue that protrudes into the mouth of a frog which crouches on his abdomen. A long beaked bird with horizontal crested feathers emerges at the figure’s feet and connects to the frog body. The purposefully joined bird-frog-man demonstrates connectivity and transmission between the figures. The underside of the rattle is incised with a totemic wolf's face which likely carried personal meaning for its owner. Rattles are objects of power and would have been in the possession of chiefs who carried them as part of their ceremonial regalia, or used by shaman in dance and ceremony.

All images and text under copyright. Please contact Collection Department for permission to use.

Milliner's Model Doll with Apollo Knot Hair

Milliner's Model Doll with Apollo Knot Hair, c.1830
Germany
Papier-mâché, cotton, wood, leather and chemise; 23 in.
Bowers Museum #86.17.1

This beautiful example of an early German-made Milliner's Model doll is remarkable in condition and rare in size, measuring at least twelve inches taller than average. The head made of papier-mâché has hand painted details and features the striking Apollo Knot hairstyle primarily depicted on early molded hair paper-mâché head dolls of the period. The Greek-inspired hairstyle was popular among women in the 1830’s until mid-1840 who neatly arranged their hair (and sometimes false hair pieces and decorative ornaments) prominently upon their heads. Six individually molded braids are seen encircling the pronounced topknot diagonally from left to right. The name Milliner's Model is unusual for these dolls since very few examples are known to have worn hats; the origin of the term has only been speculated about.

The body of this doll is formed of cotton, a restoration that differs from the original sewn kid body. The arms, legs, feet and hands are of carved wood. The hand-sewn dress is made of sheer fabric and three petticoats are tied at the figure’s waist with narrow drawstring tapes. Originally dressed dolls such as this offer historians rare glimpses into the actual underclothing worn during the period represented. In this particular instance the doll illustrates the fact that women of this period did not wear pantalettes, panties, bloomers or drawers.

All images and text under copyright. Please contact Collection Department for permission to use.