If you’re writing about arms & armor, there’s an entire wing at the Met in NYC dedicated to the art. The collection includes a survey of swords, bludgeons, clubs, spears, pikes, poleaxes, pistols, and rifles from multiple cultures and timelines.
While there are plenty of military museums focused on the practical and historical aspects of weapons, the Met’s collection is focused on the art of the sword maker, armorer, and gunsmith and how their work affected court pageantry and ceremonial events.
As a result, the items on display are exquisite. The detailed craftsmanship by skilled metal and woodworkers is best viewed up-close; there’s no modern equivalent.
Tomotsugu, the maker of this armor, was active at the turn of the eighteenth century and the last great master of the Bamen School. The helmet bowl is made from 84 ridged iron plates and the cuirass consists of eight vertical plates connected with ornamental rivets, an interpretation referred to as byō-toji okegawa-dō. The armor is endowed with shakudō (gold-copper alloy) crests of three whirling commas which are associated with the Okabe family, the feudal lords of Kishiwada (present day Kishiwada City in Osaka Prefecture).
One of my all-time favorite period films is The Last Samurai. While it has been taken to task for use of the white savior narrative, the film was received popularly in Japan; director Edward Zwick "had researched Japanese history, cast well-known Japanese actors and consulted dialogue coaches to make sure he didn't confuse the casual and formal categories of Japanese speech."
At the Met, when viewing these Samurai arms and armor, one can actually get close to some of this ancient armor, and feel how terrifying and beautiful it must have been on the battlefield. One cannot help but make comparisons to modern armor, especially the types fielded during the GWOT, which were designed to protect the wearer against IED shrapnel and gunfire.
Below is a detailed shot of Armor of Infante Luis, Prince of Asturias (1707–1724) made by one of the last armorers of Europe, Jean Drouart.
Drouart was one of the last practicing armorers active in France by 1712. Remarkable for the state of its preservation, the armor retains its lustrous blue and gold surfaces and nearly all the original red silk lining. The gilt rivet heads are of heraldic design—the lion of León, the castle of Castile, and the fleur-de-lis of France—representing the dynastic claims to which Luis was heir
If you can’t manage to visit the Met – and you really must, if you’re writing about warfare – you can brows ultra-high resolution photos of some of the collection here - but it’s impossible to see the tight, detailed filigree and sense the patina of a bygone era of craftsmanship and war.