Samurai

This education resource includes works of art from our permanent collection that can be used as a starting point in the classroom for students to learn about Japanese art, history and culture and develop and understand Australia’s engagement with Asia.

Samurai were the military elite who ruled Japan from the late 12th to mid 19th centuries. Samurai were expected to cultivate the arts of war and culture and as a result the works of art in this resource includes a diversity of media from the humble tea bowl to the opulent golden screens and spectacular armour. These works of art demonstrate how the Samurai, as warriors and patrons of the arts, permeated every aspect of Japanese art and culture during this period.

The making and responding suggestions have been curated into the following themes ‘time and place’, ‘storytelling’ and ‘methods and materials’ in response to contrasting works of art. These conversations between works highlight the transformation of the Samurai and Japanese culture throughout time, providing an opportunity for students to explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices and consider and develop multiple perspectives.