Samurai Armour, delicacy in brutality

I really enjoyed this sketch in Powerhouse Museum. Samurai Officer Koma Kaemon of Bizen clan, Edoperiod, Japan, 1775. I wanted to feel haiku poet Basho's emotions towards a helmet. In Basho's long walk journey, he saw the helmet kept in a temple and a field. Basho thought of a veteran killed by a young general whom once, the veteran had saved -- a famous episode, Saito Sanemori in Heike Monogatari. 

It is part of my research of our picture book porject written by Libby Hathorn. So, I visited the musem to look into this armour (different from Basho's general though). 
Basho's haiku, "むざんやな甲(かぶと）の下のきりぎりす" ; Alas, how pitiful! A cricket is chirping under the helmet.

Samurai worriers or higher generals were quite intellectual and philosophers, because they created good poems (waka) and studied about Buddhism. Generals thought they would die even today. Also, the generals and lieutenants were, in my eyes, very fashionable in armours. Their colour combinations were defined by seasons, which also showed a rank in army. 
Here, examples. The colour combination of a part of an amour, Odoshi Irome. Originally, it was developed from Kasaneirome, 襲色目(かさねいろめ）women's clothes, serving an emperor.
Japanese, even in war, such brutal events, they sought for beauty.... It touches my heart. 
Now, I'll get back to creating images and character design.
You, too, Friends, have a productive week. 
Happy Painting!  

Samurai Armour, delicacy in brutality