Samurai Armor: The Masks of War I

Last Sunday I was fortunate to catch the last day of an incredible exhibit of Japanese Armor from the 12th through 17th century at the Phoenix Art Museum. It was a spectacular and breath-taking collection of beautiful and terrifying pieces of armor, crests, helmets, and weapons. We were allowed to take photos so I had to focus on what I loved most. I went for two catagories: the face masks worn to protect the face and sometimes the throat (from penetrating sword thrusts) and the actual armor which was created with such woven precision and fascinated me as a weaver. The armor too rivaled any fantasty film I have even seen and that includes the often gorgeous and blood-soaked Game of Thrones. These pieces were not props but art, carefully crafted by multiple artists, in the service of war. They were meant to last generations, and the often did just that. So here are the masks made for the lower half of the face -- imagine fierce glaring eyes staring out at you above them.