{"id":23934,"date":"2025-05-13T13:26:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T10:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lndm.devmerit.com\/palangos-gintaro-muziejus\/parodos\/samurai-treasures-artistic-elements-of-japanese-swords-and-miniature-sculpture-from-the-khanenko-museum\/"},"modified":"2025-05-13T13:26:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T10:26:31","slug":"samurai-treasures-artistic-elements-of-japanese-swords-and-miniature-sculpture-from-the-khanenko-museum","status":"publish","type":"paroda","link":"https:\/\/lndm.devmerit.com\/en\/palanga-amber-museum\/exhibitions\/samurai-treasures-artistic-elements-of-japanese-swords-and-miniature-sculpture-from-the-khanenko-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"Samurai Treasures: Artistic Elements of Japanese Swords and Miniature\u202fSculpture from the Khanenko\u202fMuseum\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The works of Japanese art from the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts in Kyiv (Ukraine) offer a glimpse into the material world of the samurai class during the Edo, or Tokugawa, period (1603\u20131868). For this exhibition at the Palanga Amber Museum, a selection of items <\/span>were <\/span>was<\/span> chosen from over 500 objects of the Khanenko Collection of Japanese Art that best represents the artistry of sword fittings and small sculptural forms.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>samurai <\/span><\/i>was the prototype of the Japanese military knight and embodied all the qualities of the environment that shaped him. Literally, <\/span>samurai <\/span><\/i>means \u2018one who is at the service of another\u2019 but they were also known as <\/span>bushi<\/span><\/i>, or warriors. In general, the word <\/span>samurai <\/span><\/i>referred to a type of elite warrior of pre-modern Japan that emerged in the country\u2019s most populated provinces in the early 10th century and later evolved into a class that governed the country from the 12th century until the Restoration of the Emperor Meiji in 1868. The main reason for the emergence of the <\/span>samurai <\/span><\/i>was the collapse of central government in Kyoto controlled by the courtiers in the emperor\u2019s service, and the need for local administration in the provinces. The <\/span>samurai <\/span><\/i>served as delegated officials in charge of provincial government, operatives at courtiers\u2019 private estates known as <\/span>shoen<\/span><\/i>, and in religious institutions.<\/span> The reins of the samurai class were held mostly by descendants of the Imperial family.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The selection of objects reflects the Japanese cultural concept of \u2018greatness in the small\u2019, where a very small object embodies entire worlds \u2013 in this case, the social and material worlds of old Japan. Primarily, it is a collection of artistic elements of Japanese swords and miniature sculptures \u2013 <\/span>netsuke<\/span><\/i>. Cold steel was an integral part of Japanese knightly armour and was also closely associated with the cult of <\/span>Bushido<\/span><\/i>, the \u2018way of the warrior\u2019, which revolved around the possession of a sword. Meanwhile, small netsuke trinkets, favoured by the townspeople, became a common element in Japanese men\u2019s and later women\u2019s clothing, taking on the role of pockets, which were absent from Japanese costumes. The miniature sculptures were also used by the military, performing not only a functional role but also serving as ornamental jewellery that emphasised the individuality of its owner. The small objects presented in the exhibition exemplify the careful attention that the people of Japan paid to even the smallest things in all aspects of life, including elements of samurai attire.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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