It was with great pride of accomplishment that CP in collaboration with the Museo Stibbert of Florence, Italy, inaugurated the North American tour of “Samurai, The Way of the Warrior” in Houston, Texas, in November 2014.
Drawing from the rich and renowned Japanese collection of the museum, the exhibition featured some 100 exquisite original objects that relate to the legendary samurai warriors and characterize the period from 1185 – 1868 when Japan was ruled by the samurai class that embodied the ideals of and lived by the code of Bushido (Way of the Warrior).
The exhibition unfolds in sections organized according to the typology of the objects – full suits of armor, helmets, swords, sword-hilts, saddles to be sure – but also exquisite objects, some intended for more personal use such as lacquered writing boxes and incense trays, others, delicate works of art such as screens and scrolls that portray a way of life. A series of suggestive graphic panels, designed by Contemporanea Progetti, accompanied the objects and the visitors. Not only do the panels provided informative text regarding the history of the samurai and the objects on view, but they also served to enlarge and enhance exquisite details of the craftsmanship hidden in the objects.