The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum: The Samurai Collection presents its newest exhibition, IRON MEN: The Artistry of Iron in Samurai Armor. The show examines the vital role that iron played in Japanese warrior technology and culture from the fourth century, when the knowledge of ironworking arrived in Japan,  to the end of the samurai era in the nineteenth century.

Over eighty artworks, including several masterpieces and many objects that have never before been on display, will be showcased in IRON MEN. An array of samurai ironworks – full suits of armor, helmets, accessories, weapons, and horse tack – have been assembled to highlight the ways in which this seemingly unyielding metal gave way to works of protective art.

The exhibition is a testament to the peerless craftsmanship of the metalworkers and reveals how they mined, smelted, and ultimately forged iron into lifesaving armor. Transcending functionality, components were often meticulously engraved with gold and silver, adorning the high-ranking samurai in wearable art that indicated their wealth and status. In some cases, the iron plates were expertly manipulated into fantastic shapes of creatures or deities.

These suits of armor gave the warriors a distinguished identity and prominent appearance. Through the course of the exhibition, visitors will learn about the ancient Japanese iron industry and encounter the world of the samurai – the Iron Men.