British drizzle helps to save Queen’s samurai armour
BRITAIN’S weather may not be to everyone’s liking, but the seemingly endless drizzle has been revealed as having a surprising silver lining when it comes to preserving items gifted to monarchs.
Samurai armour handed to British royalty has been able to survive for 400 years with help from the damp and dreary UK weather, experts have disclosed ahead of a new exhibition showcasing the Queen’s collection of Japanese treasures.
Ornate Japanese battle clothing is trickier to care for compared to the shining armour of European knights often displayed in castles and stately homes, as its decorative lacquer-coating becomes so fragile in dry conditions that it can break apart.
But samurai armour given to James I in 1613 as the first ever diplomatic gift from Japan to Britain has managed to survive the centuries – and the interminable British drizzle may have provided the humidity needed to preserve it.
Rachel Peat, the curator working on the Royal Collection Trust’s first exhibition on the Queen’s Japanese treasures, said: “The British weather may well have helped with that; that is at least one silver lining. It is remarkable that it has survived.”
Francesca Levey, the Trust’s armour conservator, added: “It’s much more complicated than European suits of armour. The lacquer itself needs about 75 to 80 per cent humidity.”
The armour was gifted to James I in 1613 by Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada as part of negotiations between Japan and the British East India Company.
The panoply of lacquer and steel – and even its silk binding – has survived centuries on open display without controlled conditions.
It is one of four sets of samurai gear set to go on display at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, in April, and conservators have taken over from the damp British weather by providing humidified display cabinets for the pieces, with Ms Levey saying they are “[replicating] that Japanese climate”.
Curators will also be replicating the etiquette of Japan in the exhibition, with samurai swords gifted to Queen Victoria’s son Prince Alfred – the first British royal to visit Japan – to be displayed with their handles to the left and blades pointing upwards in the traditional Japanese style.
These blades, some made in the 14th century, remain razor-sharp compared to the more blunted medieval weapons displayed at history properties.
Ms Peat said: “We have had to be extremely careful with these blades, they are unbelievably sharp.”