Marvel at the artistry and beauty of Japan’s metalworking tradition across five centuries in Samurai to the Imperial Court: Japanese Metalwork. Through more than 90 works of art drawn from the DMA’s significant holdings and other leading collections, including The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum: The Samurai Collection, Dallas, Samurai to the Imperial Court celebrates the technical mastery, innovative spirit, and aesthetic brilliance of Japanese metal artists. From samurai arms and armor to imperial court commissions, from luminous enameled vessels to sculptures of fantastical animals and figures, this exhibition showcases a dazzling array of objects shaped by centuries of imagination and craftsmanship.
DMA Members get free and early access to exhibition tickets on Monday, March 2, 2026. Tickets go on sale to the public on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Members see the exhibition early, during Member Preview Days, Thursday, March 26 through Saturday, March 28, 2026. Learn how members get more and sign up for your membership at dma.org/support/become-a-member.
Samurai to the Imperial Court: Japanese Metalwork is organized by the Dallas Museum of Art. The Dallas Museum of Art is supported, in part, by generous DMA Members and donors, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the citizens of Dallas through the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture.
Images: Dragon King Presenting a Jewel to Fujiwara no Hidesato, 1879–1881, Japan, bronze and rock crystal. Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, The John R. Young Collection, gift of M. Frances and John R. Young, 1993.86.11.FA; Articulated Figure of a Spiny Lobster, 1870. Norihisa. Iron. Private Collection. Photography courtesy of Gavin Ashworth; Pair of Imperial Presentation Vases, about 1900. Sato Kazuhide. Silver and gold. Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, The John R. Young Collection, gift of M. Frances and John R. Young, 1993.86.14.1-2.FA; Charger with Central Panel of Daruma Scowling and Holding His Head in His Hands, about 1880. Komai Company. Iron and gold. Private Collection. Photography courtesy of Gavin Ashworth; Vase, about 1912–1920. Hattori Tadasaburō. Enamel and silver. Private Collection. Image courtesy of Bonhams & Butterfields, London. Photography by Steve Gyurina; Iron Kettle, 15th century. Iron. The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum: The Samurai Collection, Dallas. Photo by Michel Gurfinkel; Armor (Haramaki Gusoku) with War Fan (Gunsen), Helmet by Masanobu, 18th century. Iron, gold, lacquer, lacing, shakudō, leather, boar hair, silver, and washi (paper), wood. The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum: The Samurai Collection, Dallas. Photo by Brad Flowers; Phoenix, about 1900. Hirayama Kantei. Silver, gold, copper, and shakudō. Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, The John R. Young Collection, gift of M. Frances and John R. Young, 1993.86.13.FA; Sake Fountain, about 1825–1850. Okamura Sugaji. Bronze, tin, gold, silver, shibuichi, and shakudo. Private Collection. Photography courtesy of Julia Featheringill; Vase, about 1895. Jitsumei. Shakudō, gold, and enamel. Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, The John R. Young Collection, gift of M. Frances and John R. Young, 1993.86.12.FA; Tray with Pigeons, about 1895-1900. Namikawa Sosuke. Enamel, gold wire, silver wire, and cloisonne. Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, The John R. Young Collection, gift of M. Frances and John R. Young, 1993.86.22.FA.