Fabulous exhibition collection of one of the best armor collections outside of Japan. This catalog is from 2011, and as the collection itself (traveling all over the world) is still expanding, it is likely that many pieces of the now enlarged collection are not yet in the catalog.
Title: Robert Winter Oriental Art - A Collection of Fine Japanese Armour and Related Pieces Author: Robert Winter Publisher: Robert Winter, 2008 Language: English Illustrations: Color Pictures Other: 31 cm by 22 cm, hardcover Topics:Abumi, Bagu, Kabuto, Katchū, Menpō, Paintings, Sōmen ID: B0294
Beautiful sales catalog of Robert Winter. Many high end armours, helmets, masks etc.
Title: Nihon katchū daizukan Author: Yoshihiko Sasama Publisher: Kashiwa Shobō, 1988 ISBN: 4-7601-0390-2 C3620 Language: Japanese Illustrations: Some color illustrations, many black and white illustrations Other: 474 pages, 37 cm by 26.5 cm, hardcover Topics:Kabuto, Katchū, Menpō, Sōmen ID: B0205
This is the famous (and originally very expensive – 80,000 yen) encyclopedia of Yoshihiko Sasama, also called: An Illustrated Book on Japanese Armor. Almost no pictures but many illustrations from Sasama. Of course, many illustrations come back in other publications, but the big advantage here is, that the book is big, so much more detail can be seen in the illustrations. One of his latest works, so content wise probably the most up to date.
Title: katchū men mononofu no kasō Author: Kazuo Iida Publisher: Tōken shunjū, 2010 ISBN: 978-4-86366-081-6 Language: Japanese and some English Illustrations: Color and black and white pictures Other: 320+9 pages, 26 cm by 18.5 cm, softcover Topics:Menpō, Sōmen ID: B0203
This is as far as I know the only serious book on menpō . Several of the examples in the book have become famous and have ended up in big collections. This is a reprint in softcover from the hardcover version from 1991 (B0014). The pictures in the big hard cover edition are slightly better in my eyes.
Title: 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!
Title: Casques, masques et armures des seigneurs de l'ancien Japon Author: Jean-Christophe Charbonnier Publisher: ToriiLinks Editions, 2003 ISBN: 2-9520006-0-3 Language: French and English Illustrations: Color Pictures Other: 207 pages, 30.5 cm by 22 cm, hardcover Topics:Kabuto, Katchū, Menpō, Sōmen ID: B0198
Beautiful book from Jean-Christophe Charbonnier with a wide selection of top quality kabuto, menpō, sōmen, katchū from private collections. Excellent explanation about the various schools, beautiful photography.
Title: 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.
Title: Armures Japonaises à la XXVIe Biennale des Antiquaires Author: Jean-Christophe Charbonnier Publisher: ToriiLinks Editions, 2012 ISBN: 2-9520006-6-2 Language: French and English Illustrations: Color Pictures Other: 80 pages, 33 cm by 24.5 cm, hardcover Topics:Bugu, Kabuto, Katchū, Kura, Menpō, Sōmen ID: B0189
Very nice sales catalog of Jean-Christophe Charbonnier, with armours, kabuto, menpō, sōmen etc. Several pieces have several pictures from different angles, as a good book should have.
Title: 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.
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.
Title: Art of the Armor - Samurai Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection
Title: Robert Winter Oriental Art - A Collection of Fine Japanese Armour and Related Pieces
Title: Nihon katchū daizukan
Title: katchū men mononofu no kasō
Title: Armures japonaises dans la collection Jean Saporta - Japanese armor from the Jean Saporta collection
Title: Casques, masques et armures des seigneurs de l'ancien Japon
Title: Armures du Japon II : 100 pièces sélectionnées dans la collection du Musée Stibbert de Florence
Title: Armures Japonaises à la XXVIe Biennale des Antiquaires
Title: Armures du Japon : 100 pièces sélectionnées dans la collection de la Fondation Kōzu de Kyōto
Title: Samurai