What do the swords of the samurai have in common with cloisonné enameling? Samurai to the Imperial Court: Japanese Metalwork, an exhibition on view at the Dallas Museum of Art through Sept. 6, investigates the inventiveness and craftsmanship of Japanese metalwork.   “Samurai to the Imperial C ourt celebrates over 500 years of metalworking in Japan from the late 15th century through to the 20th century. It highlights the technical mastery, resilience, spirit, and aesthetic brilliance of Japanese metal artists across generations,” said Dr. Jacqueline Chao, The Cecil and Ida Green Curator of Asian Art at the Dallas Museum of Art.. Organized by the Dallas Museum of Art, the exhibition is organized into five thematic sections. The first section delves into the various metals and Japanese metalwork techniques. “Metalworking has been an integral part of Japanese culture for over 2,000 years,” Chao said. “Discoveries of iron and copper, gold and silver in Japan sparked a flourishing domestic metalworking industry for swordsmiths, armor makers, and classical made objects for practical use and also for decoration.” Samurai armor was often created by multiple artists. Some of the most impressive pieces are examples of samurai arms and armor from the 16th to the 19th centuries. “Many Japanese metalworking techniques that we see today come from techniques from making sword fittings that developed during the samurai period,” Chao said. Samurai learned to be warriors and artists. Their armor, often created by multiple artists, shows the richness of samurai culture. “That was very much a part of the training of being able to be both,” Chao said. “Many wealthy samurai actually had their own armorers and they developed regional styles. They very much supported the arts in their regions; in their kingdoms. They had dedicated people who developed ceramics and lacquer and calligraphies and painting and all these kinds of things.” A video in the exhibition shows how the lobster can move. This section also showcases works created by metalsmiths during a time of peace from the 1700s onward, including a jjizai okimono, or fully articulated model of a spiny lobster. “Every single leg, every single antenna moves,” Chao said. “This type of thing was actually very much inspired by the riveting techniques that would have been come with developing plates in armor and armor making.” The world changed for metalsmiths during the Meiji period (1868-1912). The samurai class was dissolved after the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Swords were no longer allowed to be worn in public beginning in 1876. “So as a result of this, many highly skilled metal workers now lost their key market; they lost many of their patrons; they had to find new ways of supporting themselves, turning their attention to creating other forms of metal art of the highest quality. So, this also coupled with the Meiji government’s encouragement and of innovation and metalworking really resulted in a wide range of new forms, new decorative techniques that were featured in exhibitions across Japan, as well as internationally in world’s fairs,” Chao said. Japanese metalsmiths adapted after the samurai class was dissolved. One work shows how metalsmiths learned to create for a new audience. “It is, as you see, a ship anchor. A falcon perches on the ship anchor. It also doubles as an incense burner. So, you can kind of see on the very top of his back a little strainer and a coal,” Chao said. ‘But there’s a lot of symbolism with this. Falconry was something that was historically a sport that was used by ruling emperors. It was a sport of the elite, still practiced today. We have the ship anchor – Japan starts to begin their navy. The Imperial Navy starts in 1869. So, kind of connecting the past and also Japan’s hopeful future,” Chao said. Japanese cloisonné from the five artist companies are featured in this exhibition. The fourth section of the exhibition focuses on Japanese cloisonné, highlighting five artist companies that created imperial commissions of cloisonné enameling during the Meiji period and experimented with the aart form “What we’re seeing here is also the incredible complexity that comes with cloisonné. Now, an example is that usually when you think of cloisonné, every single circle is, every single shape is usually much smaller and it’s just the individual holes are being kind of filled in to create the pattern of the design,” Chao said. “What we’re seeing in the major period of Japan, they’re able to really, really innovate and create, able to show, do thinner bases and also really stretch enamels. And the fact that it’s able to be accomplished without cracking is actually very, very innovative.” Be sure to walk all around the Dragon King of the Sea sculpture to admire all of the intricate details. The exhibition culminates in a bronze-cast sculpture, Dragon King of the Sea, a work based on Asian mythology that took two years to create. “It is actually recognized as the most significant Meiji period bronze sculpture in North America and just one of many examples of the DMA’s exemplary collection of Japanese metal works featured in this show,” Chao said. “It is absolutely masterful, and the way that it was executed, just even looking at the back of this Dragon King’s robe, is insane. So, I do encourage you to look around it.” Learn more: Dallas Museum of Art DFW Culture Fort Worth Aug 8 A holiday favorite returns for Stage West's 2026-2027 season Dallas Aug 1 Proposed merger of two arts institutions reimagines business model ...read more read less