Book Review: Armures japonaises dans la collection Jean Saporta – Japanese armor from the Jean Saporta collection by Jean-Christophe Charbonnier

Book Review: Armures japonaises dans la collection Jean Saporta – Japanese armor from the Jean Saporta collection by Jean-Christophe CharbonnierTitle: Armures japonaises dans la collection Jean Saporta - Japanese armor from the Jean Saporta collection
Author: Jean-Christophe Charbonnier
Publisher: ToriiLinks Editions, 2007
ISBN: 2-9520006-3-8
Language: French and English
Illustrations: Color Pictures
Other: 176 pages, 30.5 cm by 22 cm, hardcover
Topics: Abumi, Bagu, Bugu, Kabuto, Katchū, Kura, Menpō, Sōmen
ID: B0199

Beautiful book from Jean-Christophe Charbonnier about the magnificent collection of  Jean Saporta. The collection has since then been sold, but Mr. Saporta has been very active in gathering a new collection, so there is hope for another book!

Book Review: Armures du Japon II – 100 pièces sélectionnées dans la collection du Musée Stibbert de Florence by Robert Burawoy

Book Review: Armures du Japon II – 100 pièces sélectionnées dans la collection du Musée Stibbert de Florence by Robert BurawoyTitle: Armures du Japon II : 100 pièces sélectionnées dans la collection du Musée Stibbert de Florence
Author: Robert Burawoy
Publisher: ToriiLinks Editions, 2006
ISBN: 2-9520006-2-X
Language: French and English
Illustrations: Color Pictures
Other: 144 pages, 30.5 cm by 22 cm, hardcover
Topics: Abumi, Bagu, Bugu, Katchū, Kura, Menpō, Sōmen
ID: B0197

Beautiful book from Robert Burawoy with 100 selected pieces from the Famous Stibbert Collection in Florence. Excellent photography, with explanation in French and English. This is the best book about the Stibbert Collection.

Book Review: Katchū bugu no kenkyū (Studies on Arms and Armour – With a Focus on Modern Helmets) by Teruo Orikasa

Book Review: Katchū bugu no kenkyū (Studies on Arms and Armour – With a Focus on Modern Helmets) by Teruo OrikasaTitle: Katchū bugu no kenkyū : kinsei no kabuto o chūshin toshite (Studies on Arms and Armour - With a Focus on Modern Helmets)
Author: Teruo Orikasa
Publisher: Teruo Orikasa, 2010
Language: Japanese (English translation available)
Illustrations: Black and white pictures
Other: 244 pages, 30.5 cm by 21.5 cm, hardcover
Topics: Abumi, Kabuto, Katchū, Menpō
ID: B0196

During his many years as a member of the Nihon Katchū Bugu Kenkyū Hozon Kai, Mr. Orikasa wrote several highly interesting articles about Japanese armour for the magazine of the society. What makes the articles of Mr. Orikasa so interesting is the fact that he starts from thorough research, and not from pure guess work.

In this book (limited to 200), Mr. Orikasa assembled his best articles with, where applicable, some extra comments. As it is probably the first time that these articles will be available for people who are not a member of the armour society, it is a very valuable document.

B0196 - Katchū bugu no kenkyū - kinsei no kabuto o chūshin toshite (Studies on Arms and Armour - With a Focus on Modern Helmets) - Teruo Orikasa - s2
After our successful collaboration with Mr. Orikasa for our book Helmets of the Saotome School, we heard the repeating remark from readers of our Saotome book that they now want more research based information available in English, so with the kind permission of Mr. Orikasa, we have translated this important work with the help of Markus Sesko.
The original book and translation are now sold out.

Book Review: Kinki no meikō by Nihon Katchū Bugu Kenkyū Hozonkai

Book Review: Kinki no meikō by Nihon Katchū Bugu Kenkyū HozonkaiTitle: Kinki no meikō
Author: Nihon Katchū Bugu Kenkyū Hozonkai
Publisher: Nihon Katchū Bugu Kenkyū Hozon Kai, 1998
Language: Japanese
Illustrations: Color and black and white pictures
Other: 100 pages, 30.5 cm by 21.5 cm, hardcover
Topics: Abumi, Bagu, Bugu, Kabuto, Katchū, Kura, Menpō, Teppō
ID: B0193

Very nice and now rare publication from the Osaka regio branch (Kinki) of the The Armour society. Many pieces you will probably not find in any mainstream publication. Does also include several old akodanari kabuto and haramaki etc. Limited to 300.

Book Review: Armures du Japon – 100 pièces sélectionnées dans la collection de la Fondation Kōzu de Kyōto by Robert Burawoy

Book Review: Armures du Japon – 100 pièces sélectionnées dans la collection de la Fondation Kōzu de Kyōto by Robert BurawoyTitle: Armures du Japon : 100 pièces sélectionnées dans la collection de la Fondation Kōzu de Kyōto
Author: Robert Burawoy
Publisher: ToriiLinks Editions, 2005
ISBN: 2-9520006-1-1
Language: French
Illustrations: Color Pictures
Other: 128 pages, 37.5 cm by 22 cm, hardcover
Topics: Abumi, Bugu, Katchū, Kura, Menpō, Sōmen
ID: B0185

Very beautiful book with 100 selected pieces from the Kōzu Foundation in Kyoto. The format of the book is long and actually allows large and impressive pictures of armour very well.

Book Review: Samurai Opere della Collezione Koelliker e delle Raccolte Extraeuropee del Castello Sforzesco by Giuseppe Piva

Book Review: Samurai Opere della Collezione Koelliker e delle Raccolte Extraeuropee del Castello Sforzesco by Giuseppe PivaTitle: Samurai Opere della Collezione Koelliker e delle Raccolte Extraeuropee del Castello Sforzesco
Author: Giuseppe Piva
Publisher: Mazzotta, 2009
ISBN: 978-88-202-1921-5
Language: Italian
Illustrations: Color Pictures
Other: 143 pages, 30 cm by 24 cm, softcover
Topics: Abumi, Bagu, Bugu, Kabuto, Katchū, Kura, Menpō, Nihontō, Tōsōgu
ID: B0176

Very beautiful exhibition catalog round the Koelliker collection. The exhibition was curated by Giuseppe Piva and contains also articles from Francesco Civita and others. Impressive.

Book Review: Samurai by Chantal Kozyreff (ed.)

Book Review: Samurai by Chantal Kozyreff (ed.)Title: Samurai
Author: Chantal Kozyreff
Publisher: Gemeentekrediet van België, 1984
Language: Dutch
Illustrations: Color pictures and black and white pictures
Other: 181 pages, 30 cm by 21 cm, softcover
Topics: Abumi, Bagu, Bugu, Kabuto, Katchū, Kura, Menpō, Nihontō, Sōmen, Teppō, Tōsōgu
ID: B0175

Very nice exhibition catalog from 1984 with many pieces in European collections (private – mainly L.J. Anderson and Bernard Le Dauphin – and public) in 1984, and two top pieces from Yasukuni Jinja in Japan. The black and white pictures are often on the dark side, the color ones are much better. Also a French edition exist.

Book Review: Kunst in Japan tijdens de Edo-periode 1603-1868 by Chantal Kozyreff

Book Review: Kunst in Japan tijdens de Edo-periode 1603-1868 by Chantal KozyreffTitle: Kunst in Japan tijdens de Edo-periode 1603-1868
Author: Chantal Kozyreff
Publisher: La Renaissance du Livre, 2003
ISBN: 2-8046-734-8
Language: Dutch
Illustrations: Color Pictures
Other: 189 pages, 28.5 cm by 21 cm, softcover
Topics: Abumi, Inrō, Kabuto, Katchū, Kura, Menpō, Netsuke, Nihontō, Paintings, Tōsōgu
ID: B0173

Nice exhibition catalog about the collection of the Musée du Cinquantenaire – Musées royaux d’Art et d’Histoire, Bruxelles, with besides armour also tōsōgu, paintings, netsuke, inrō, ukiyō-e,…

The catalog does also exist in French.

Book Review: Samurai – Japanse wapens and wapenrustingen by To-ken Club België v.z.w.

Book Review: Samurai – Japanse wapens and wapenrustingen by To-ken Club België v.z.w.Title: Samurai: Japanse wapens and wapenrustingen
Author: To-ken Club België v.z.w.
Publisher: To-ken Club België v.z.w., 1994
Language: Dutch and French
Illustrations: Black and white pictures
Other: 211 pages, 30 cm by 21 cm, softcover
Topics: Abumi, Kabuto, Katchū, Menpō, Tōsōgu
ID: B0172

Exhibition catalog from an exhibition held by the the Belgian To-ken Club, where I was a member many years ago. It was my first ‘organized exposure’ to armour, swords, tsuba etc.

It is a painful coincidence is that this review comes online almost exactly two weeks after the then ‘voorzitter’ from the society, Willem Dolphyn passed away. So Willem, thank you for my first baby armour steps!

Book Review: L’Art Guerrier du Japon – Samouraï by L. J. Anderson, Bernard Le Dauphin

Book Review: L’Art Guerrier du Japon – Samouraï by L. J. Anderson, Bernard Le DauphinTitle: L'Art Guerrier du Japon: Samouraï
Author: Bernard Le Dauphin, L.J. Anderson
Publisher: ACTE EPAD, 1987
ISBN: 2-9501257-0-0 EPAD
Language: French
Illustrations: Color pictures and black and white pictures
Other: 117 pages, 30 cm by 21 cm, softcover
Topics: Abumi, Bagu, Bugu, Kabuto, Katchū, Kura, Sōmen, Tōsōgu
ID: B0170

Very nice catalog from an exhibition in 1987 with some amazing pieces in (then) European collections. Contains mainly pieces from the at that time big and famous collections of L.J. Anderson and Bernard Le Dauphin. The color pictures are gorgeous.