With behind-the-scenes access to a major new exhibition at the British Museum, Matt Lewis sets out to uncover the story behind one of Japan’s most enduring and misunderstood legacies: the Samurai. Often romanticised as noble warriors bound by an unbreakable code of honour, the reality of the Samurai is far more complex.
Guided by curator Dr Rosina Buckland, Lewis examines a newly acquired suit of armour assembled over more than three centuries, revealing what its intricate craftsmanship and evolving design can tell us about the world of the Samurai. While the armour embodies the familiar image of the fearsome warrior, a closer look uncovers the many layers of identity to these figures...and why they continue to capture imaginations around the world.
Up Next in Treasures Revealed
-
Climbing The Rigging of An 18th Centu...
The team had the opportunity to film on an authentic, wooden tall ship, similar to those used by the Royal Navy in the 18th century. The ship is called Phoenix, a two-masted Brig based in Penzance.
The height from the waterline to the top of Phoenix’s mast is over 80 feet, a long way to fall. N...
-
The Ashmolean Up Close: Origins of An...
The sixth and final episode in our series exploring the remarkable collections of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
Dan Snow joins Keeper of Antiquities, Liam McNamara, to journey into Egypt’s distant past, long before the Pharaohs and pyramids. Through extraordinary artefacts from the Predynastic...
-
F-35 Simulator
The F-35 is the latest plane to join the ranks of the RAF. What is so special about it is that it is a single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed for many missions with advanced, integrated sensors built into every aircraft. Missions that were traditionally performed by small numbers of...
2 Comments