Stoic and unsmiling beneath a topknot or helmet, the samurai is typically rendered in sleek armor with a long, curved katana sword at the belt. And yet much of what we “know” about these warriors is invented tradition. The British Museum now traces the evolution of the samurai from the 11th century to today, beginning with the rise of the warrior class known as bushi and their transformation in the 17th century into a formal social caste—one that included women, ministers, poets, and patrons. The show includes a suit of armor sent by Tokugawa Hidetada to James VI and I, not to mention a Louis Vuitton outfit that nods to Japanese armor and mementos from the video game Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. —Elena Clavarino