The armour of fearsome elite Samurai warriors is on display in Durham

OF all the icons of the Far East to have passed into Western popular culture, the samurai is perhaps the most enduring and awe-inspiring.

The samurai were a warrior class who dominated military, political and cultural life in Japan for over 600 years, right up to the 19th Century.

At Durham University's Oriental Museum, visitors can see a set of samurai armour, handmade to order as recently as 2013.

The Japanese samurai armour

The armour reflects that which would have been worn by a samurai in the early centuries of their dominance of Japan.

It is a rich man's armour, designed for fighting on horseback - in a style that fell out of favour in the 15th Century as infantry became more important in Japanese warfare.

The set combines metal plates and scales, laced together with silk cords. As the metal used for this kind of armour was usually iron, the plates are covered in layers of coloured lacquer to prevent rusting.

Some types of Japanese armour have leather helmets and face protection. In this style, even the head gear is made of iron. The colour and design of the armour helped to identify its wearer on the battlefield, indicating both their family line and rank.

The Oriental Museum's set was made by a company that specialises in making replica armour for films, and previously worked on the Hollywood hit The Last Samurai and Akira Kurosawa's 1985 epic period drama Ran.

Visitors to Durham University's Oriental Museum view the Japanese samurai armour

Rachel Barclay, the Museum Curator, said: "We bought the set for two reasons. Firstly, we have a growing collection relating to Japanese 20th Century films, including posters and memorabilia. We thought this would help place this in historical context.

"Secondly, historic armour is often very fragile and difficult to display without risking further damage. This modern replica set can be on permanent display in the Museum so that visitors can always enjoy it."

Durham University's Oriental Museum is the only museum in the north of the UK dedicated to the art and archaeology of the Orient. Its collections cover the cultures of China, Japan, Korea, India, the Near and Middle East, and North Africa.

The Oriental Museum is on Elvet Hill, Durham, and is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm; and weekends and Bank Holidays, noon to 5pm. Visit: https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/kjuHCOMvviRmQnXcEaKbX

* Do you have an artefact on display in a North-East museum, gallery or exhibition which you would like to feature in a future Object of the Week? Contact Andrew White on 01325-505054 or andrew.white@nne.co.uk.