MOBILE, Ala. – THE HISTORY MUSEUM OF MOBILE is excited to announce the next major exhibition, SAMURAI: Sunrise, Sunset, opening September 2024. SAMURAI: Sunrise, Sunset draws from the rich and varied Japanese collection of the Stibbert Museum located in Florence, Italy. It features some 100 objects related to the legendary samurai warriors – full suits of samurai armor, helmets, swords, sword-guards, and saddles – as well as objects intended for more personal use such as lacquered boxes, incense trays, and delicate vases. These objects characterize the period from 1185 – 1868 in which Japan was ruled by the samurai military class that embodied the ideals of the code of Bushidō (“the way of the warrior”).

Highlights of the exhibition include three exquisite helmets by Ryoei, one of the most famous and talented helmet-makers. Only about 20 works attributed to Ryoei have survived; six of those are at the Museo Stibbert, and three are on display in the exhibition. Other outstanding objects include a quiver entirely covered in flakes of mother-of-pearl and iconic swords with grips made of stingray skin.

“This exhibition conveys the mythical world of samurai through the very items they are most commonly associated with, their dress and weaponry, but the inclusion of everyday use items allows for a more holistic insight into their lives,” said Jon Sexton, Director of the History Museum of Mobile. “Visitors will see how the samurai became a dominant social class during their time and produced a lasting impact not only in Japanese cultural memory, but also in globally popular culture at large.”

A series of programs will enrich the visitor experience and enhance the educational value of the exhibition. The planned programming is designed to support meaningful connections to exhibition themes and will include special lectures on feudal Japan and samurai history, children’s workshops and pop-up activities on traditional Japanese art forms, and special workshops for adults.

The exhibition will be on view at the History Museum of Mobile from September 27, 2024, to January 12, 2025. The History Museum of Mobile is open Monday – Saturday from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Sunday from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM.

The exhibition is developed and organized by Contemporanea Progetti, Florence in collaboration with Museo Stibbert, Florence, Italy. 

ABOUT THE COLLECTION: Frederick Stibbert was born in Florence in 1838, educated in England, the son of a distinguished British citizen and his Tuscan bride. His grandfather had been the Commander-in-Chief of the British East India Company in Bengal and governor there for many years in the late 1700s, amassing a great fortune and estate that was inherited by Frederick Stibbert. This enabled Stibbert, an astute and sophisticated financier and collector, to dedicate his life to collecting works of art, objects, and antiques, but in particular, armor, weaponry, costumes, and uniforms. According to his own criteria, he transformed his hillside villa and park into the museum that is today known as the Stibbert Museum located in Florence, Italy, that conserves a magnificent collection of nearly 50,000 items.

Although he started collecting in 1861, his passion and attention turned towards the Far East and in particular Japan in the early 1870s. This coincided with the opening of Japan towards the West after centuries of isolation and the end of the political power of the samurai class. Consequently, Japanese works of art and artifacts began to appear at European art markets such as the Universal Exposition in Paris of 1867. Documentation of the Stibbert Collection corresponds to the systematic acquisition of objects through such fairs, antiquarians, private collections, and then directly from Japan through agents. The Stibbert collection contains some 2,000 objects and is one of the earliest, largest, and most documented and important Japanese collections outside of Japan. The collection contains 95 suits of armor, 200 helmets, 285 swords (long and short), daggers and spears, 880 sword guards, some firearms, in addition to lacquered objects, furnishings, porcelain, screens, and scrolls that represent the period from 1570 – 1868 in which Japan was governed by the samurai military class.

ABOUT THE HISTORY MUSEUM OF MOBILE: The History Museum of Mobile is where Mobile’s story begins. Over 117,000 objects weave together the rich, diverse, and often turbulent histories of Mobile and the surrounding area, from the prehistoric past to the present. Located in the heart of downtown, the History Museum of Mobile operates four campuses: The primary exhibitions are located in the Old City Hall-Southern Market building at 111 South Royal Street; Colonial Fort Condé is at 150 South Royal Street; Africatown Heritage House is at 2465 Winbush Street; and the Phoenix Fire Museum is at 203 South Claiborne Street. For more information, please visit: https://link.edgepilot.com/s/4c3b4f90/ndgeW71P5kSWaRz7aEVmPQ?u=http://www.historymuseumofmobile.com/.

ABOUT CONTEMPORANEA PROGETTI: Founded in Florence in 1999 by architects Eugenio Martera and Patrizia Pietrogrande, Contemporanea Progetti was born from the ten-year experience of its founders within the field of museum design and the conception and organization of exhibitions. Today the company includes a team of art historians, archaeologists, architects, graphic designers, and communication experts. They work together with the ultimate goal of developing, organizing and managing temporary exhibitions of high educational value that feature the artistic, archaeological, historical, and cultural patrimony of Italy, Europe, and Eastern cultures.

In more than 20 years of experience, CP has organized more than 200 exhibitions connecting over 100 museums on all the 4 continents. CP worked in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Oceania and in particular Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Australia, North and South America, China, South Korea, Taiwan. In Italy, CP continues to work with tremendous enthusiasm and satisfaction with many of the leading national museums. Contemporanea Progetti works for and around the world with the aim of spreading culture among the different countries of the world. The creativity and professionality of its team, recognized for expertise and know-how, has enabled CP to establish itself as a leading international force in the world of art and culture. For more information, please visit: https://link.edgepilot.com/s/f7bb56d3/hRVLsfgO4Um6B44whHQRkw?u=https://www.contemporaneaprogetti.it/.