JOURNAL

NOTES FROM THE FIELD

A considered record of exhibitions, museum study, auction visits and photographic projects from the world of Japanese arms and armour.

Visitor viewing Kaga province samurai armour at the British Museum exhibition

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THE JOURNAL

Notes from the field of Japanese arms and armour. This journal reflects my work within the field, including exhibitions, art fairs, auction visits, museum study, and related photographic projects.

Samurai – The British Museum

A personal study of selected works from the exhibition, focusing on samurai armour as art rather than function, with detailed observations often absent from the catalogue.

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David Thatcher standing in the Watanabe Art Museum, Tottori, surrounded by Japanese samurai armour

The Watanabe Art Museum, Japan

A reflection on two visits to the Watanabe Art Museum in Tottori, spanning twenty years, and on the scholarship, private collecting, and legacy behind one of Japan’s most important regional armour collections.

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Close up portrait of David Thatcher holding a restored Japanese kabuto helmet prepared for the Samurai Art Museum Berlin

Samurai Museum Berlin | Japanese Armour and Museum Conservation

Samurai Museum Berlin The Samurai Museum Berlin is home to one of the most significant collections of Japanese arms and armour outside Japan. Developed from the private collection of Peter Janssen, the museum presents samurai armour not as weaponry, but as highly sophisticated works of art and craftsmanship. My involvement with the museum began during […]

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