FOR centuries they have been portrayed as among history’s most fearsome fighting warriors, but a new exhibition will reveal the softer side of the samurai.

The role of the famous Japanese soldiers as lovers of literature and the arts will be the focus of a new exhibition The Shogun’s Cultured Warriors at the Oriental Museum in Durham.

Museum staff and academics from Durham University’s School of Modern Languages and Cultures have worked together to develop the exhibition which opens tomorrow (Tues, June 7).

The exhibition includes historic armour and weapons, together with wood block prints, lacquerware and ceramics, some dating back as far as the 16th century, together with modern objects such as film posters and fashion.

Curator, Dr Rebekah Clements, said: "Contrary to their rough image as fighters, Japan’s samurai elite were lovers of literature and the arts, leaving behind a legacy that continues to the present day.

"The ruling shoguns and their high-ranking samurai were keen to cultivate their reputation as cultured rulers in the East Asian tradition.

“When they took over as the effective centre of power in Japan from the 12th Century many adopted courtly pursuits including Japanese and Chinese poetry, painting, and calligraphy.

"In 1644 when the Ming dynasty in China fell to the Qing, a tribe who were regarded as uncultured barbarians, many of Japan’s samurai elite saw themselves as the true inheritors of the cultural legacy of China."

The Shogun’s Cultured Warriors runs until Sunday, November 27.

The Oriental Museum is open from 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday and from noon to 5pm at weekends and Bank Holidays.

Admission is £1.50 for adults, 75p for children and the over 60s and free for the under fives and students.