The Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum - Samurai Collection

The Samurai Collection is Dallas, Texas, was created in 2012 to house the Japanese Armor of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller.  Their ever-expanding collection is comprised of almost 1,000 objects, many of which are exemplary examples of samurai armor.  The dynamic and beautiful compilation of suits of armor, helmets, masks, horse arms, and weaponry, includes several masterpieces.  

The collection of samurai objects is one of the most complete and largest of its type in the world and is displayed in the only museum outside of Japan whose focus is samurai armor.  

Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller have carefully amassed this collection over the past twenty-five years.  Keeping in line with the family tradition of collecting, the Barbier-Muellers have an eye for artisco sculptural quality and a passion for discovering the creative inspiration behind these objects.  This fascination led to the creation of The Ann * Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum: The Smarurai Collection, which serves as a permanent home for the artifacts.

The Museum installation will be rotated twice per year to present new artifacts.  To stay informed on events and activities, you may join Friends of Samurai Art to experience all the Samurai Collection has to offer.
Objects from the collection also enhanced a number of building lobbies and additional museums in Dallas, Los Angeles and London.  Moreover, a major exhibition featuring 140 of samurai objects in currently touring through Paris, Canada and the United States.  To date, more than 900,000 visitors have been able to view the touring exhibition.  

A beautiful catalog, Art of Armor was published by Yale University Press as one of the most comprehensive books on samurai art and culture.  The publication contains both excellent photographs of the objects and scholarly essays written by the top specialists in the field, may be purchased in the bookstore of the museum.  Additionally, The Samurai Collection has a library comprised of the collectors; books on Japanese armor that may be accessed by scholars or students by appointment.

The Barier-Mueller family, four generations of avid art collectors, has previously established museums in Europe and South Africa which focus on ancient and non-western art and African gold. The Samurai Collection is the first and only American Barbier-Mueller museum and the first established by the third-generation collectors, Ann and Gabriel.  They continue to emphasize the value importance of studying and highlighting the artistic creations of world cultures.

Website

www.ironmensamurai.com/ironmen

Previous website
http://samuraicollection.org