Attack or Defence: Half-Term Family Activities

This February half term we ran three days of family activities on the theme of attack and defence. We were looking at how people attack and hunt as well as how they protect themselves. The second floor of the Museum is filled with hundreds of examples of weapons and armour. For the event we were looking at ways in which humans attack and defend themselves.

One of the activities was focused on the Japanese Samurai and families could make a Samurai mempo, which is a mask used to fully or partially cover the face. In the museum we have some fantastic examples of Samurai and you can look closely at the details of their armour. Samurai wore protective mempo on their faces, which sometimes featured a big moustache to scare opponents! The moustache was used to frighten the enemy as it was quite difficult for a man to grow a moustache that big, especially a young warrior who might have found it hard to grow facial hair at all. The moustache showed your opponent that you were strong, mature and fierce.

Japanese Samurai armour 1901.46.1.1
© Pitt Rivers Museum

Some of the great Samurai mempos made during half term
© Pitt Rivers Museum

Why don't you come along and check out the Japanese samurai armour on the Upper Gallery of the Pitt Rivers Museum?

Carly Smith-Huggins
Families Education Officer