Philbrook Museum of Art(37)

Jonathan Elmore
Aug 5
3 min read

Updated: 17 minutes ago

I discovered that Facebook is good for something. It showed me that the Philbrook was having an exhibit called Masterpieces of Samurai Armor. Um, why am I not there right now? Oh, yeah, it's midnight on a Tuesday. And it's in Tulsa. Ok, so I can't be there right now, but I can sure plan a little excursion over there and see what I'm sure are some amazing things.

I've been to the Philbrook a few times and I always love it. There are usually things that I remember seeing the last time, but there is something new with each visit too. My main focus this trip was the Samurai exhibit, but I would be remiss if I didn't go see the rest of the museum. I've included some of the photos from the main museum first, then the special exhibit is down the page a bit. The short, sweet history of the museum is it was built as a residence, finished in 1927. In late 1939, Waite and Genevieve Phillips donated the house and 23 acres to the city of Tulsa so it could be repurposed as a museum. The Philbrook is one of the most beautiful places in Oklahoma with the mansion, the art, and the manicured grounds. The collections in the Philbrook are impressive by anyone's standards. If someone says it's just an "okay" museum, they're full of $#!T. The museum hosts 16,000 pieces that come from the US and Europe, with a noticeable emphasis on Native American art. Wandering the halls of the old mansion, you get the sense of life in the 1920's and 30's. Looking out across the vast gardens from the terrace, you're given a chance to see landscaping that is usually reserved for royal palaces in Europe. But we have it here in Oklahoma! You can wander through the gardens at your own pace and it's magnificent. I thought to myself, "I would love to have this garden. Well, if we had a crew of people to take care of it, of course." HA! The main part of the museum is great by itself, but they also have a special gallery where they host exhibits that you aren't going to see every day. Like the one I was there for, Samurai. More about that under this first photo gallery.

2727 S Rockford Rd, Tulsa

918-749-7941

Entry Fee: $18-Adult, Student(w/ID)-$18, Senior(62+)& Veteran(w/ID)-$14, Kids(3-17)-$8

To continue from above, I was at the Philbrook to see some cool Samurai stuff and, I have to tell you, it was outstanding. There are so many adjectives that raced through my head as I slowly walked through the exhibit; impressive, unreal, badass, gorgeous, complicated, artisinal, and on and on. I was gobsmacked by the size, depth, and quality of the show. There were full suits of armor for men, horses, and even children. Each helmet was so detailed that I had trouble imagining the process it took to make them. The intricate armor was put together with precision and care showing the history of the craftsman that made each one and the family the Samurai belonged to. The rich history of Japan came alive at this show. I've never seen anything like it and I'm thankful to the Philbrook for bringing it in so we could experience the work of a nearly forgotten vein of Japanese society. The Samurai exhibit will go down in my archives as one of my favorite shows. Here are some photos. They are okay, but seeing these items up close was so much better. I loved it. And I loved that it was here in our great state of Oklahoma.