Talk | “Samurai: From War to Peace”
With Dr. Constantine Vaporis, Professor of History and Founding Director, Asian Studies Program University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Thu, Jul 11, 2024 | 6:30–7:30 pm
Reynolds Lecture Hall
$8 (VMFA members $5)
Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Samurai Armor from the Collection of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller, this talk will explore the transformation of Japan from its era of warring states to its era of peace. Constantine Vaporis, PhD, will explore three historical samurai figures from different regions of Japan: Yamauchi Kazutoyo (1545–1605), an obscure samurai who rose from the violence of civil war to become a daimyo (lord); Kumazawa Banzan (1619–1691), a zealous warrior who came to understand that his future lay in becoming a scholar-official; and Mori Masana (1803–1873), the non-inheriting fourth son of a samurai who became a scholar, an ardent collector of art, and the lord’s bodyguard. Dr. Vaporis will connect the national transformation to these samurai and their armor, helmets, weapons, clothing, and martial practices.
To view from home, visit our livestream page.
Speaker Bio
Constantine Vaporis teaches Japanese and East Asian history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and is its Founding Director of the Asian Studies Program. His numerous fellowships for research in Japanese history include a Fulbright Scholar’s Award and an NEH Fellowship for College Teachers. He is the author of many books, including Samurai: An Encyclopedia of Japan’s Cultured Warriors (2022).