Samurai Armor

I love these museum pieces!  What beautiful works of art these fearsome pieces of Samurai armor are.  I can almost picture the men who wore them - battle-hardened and stoic, well-trained in all the arts of war.

These helmets are fascinating as well.  They are pieces of art - yet serve a gruesome purpose in protecting their owner from sword blows, hatchets and spears.

If I ran into the man wearing this face mask and armor, and wielding a sword at me, I'd be terrified. Wouldn't you?

Below, can you guess what this is?

Saddle and Stirrups

It took me a minute to see that it was a saddle and stirrups.  No doubt the originally was covered in fabric.  The craftsmanship and complete artistry required to make these pieces is mind-boggling! No wonder they are in a Japanese museum.

Thanks, George, for the photos!