Category Archives: Book Review

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: Nippon-tō – Art swords of Japan The Walter A. Compton Collection by Walter A. Compton, Junji Homma, Kanichi Sato, Morihiro Ogawa

Book Review: Nippon-tō – Art swords of Japan The Walter A. Compton Collection by Walter A. Compton, Junji Homma, Kanichi Sato, Morihiro OgawaTitle: Nippon-tō: Art swords of Japan The Walter A. Compton Collection
Author: Junji Homma, Kanichi Sato, Morihiro Ogawa, Walter A. Compton
Publisher: Japan House Gallery, Japan Society Inc., 1976
ISBN: 0-913304-05-0
Language: English
Illustrations: Some color pictures, many black and white pictures and illustrations
Other: 134 pages, 37 cm by 26.5 cm, Hardcover
Topics: Nihontō, Tōsōgu
ID: B0184

Beautiful book published at the occasion of an exhibition held in 1976 around the marvelous Walter A. Compton Collection, probably the best collection on Japanese swords ever outside of Japan (or even maybe including Japan). See also the Christie’s catalogs (B0208-B0210), and One hundred masterpieces from the collection of Dr. Walter A. Compton (B0020).

Book Review: Uchigatana-goshirae by Tōkyō Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan

Book Review: Uchigatana-goshirae by Tōkyō Kokuritsu HakubutsukanTitle: Uchigatana-goshirae
Author: Tōkyō Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan
Publisher: Tōkyō Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan, 1987
Language: Japanese with some English
Illustrations: Few color pictures, many black and white pictures
Other: 293 pages, 37 cm by 26.5 cm, hardcover
Topics: Tōsōgu
ID: B0183

Fabulous book on the history and different types of  uchigatana-gishirae, lavishly illustrated with examples from the top collection in the Tōkyō National Museum. Would have been perfect of all pictures were in color. A short introduction of the history is available in English as a very short descriptions of the items.

Book Review: Helmets of the Saotome School by Teruo Orikasa, Luc Taelman, Jo Anseeuw

Book Review: Helmets of the Saotome School by Teruo Orikasa, Luc Taelman, Jo AnseeuwTitle: Helmets of the Saotome School
Author: Jo Anseeuw, Luc Taelman, Teruo Orikasa
Publisher: Luc Taelman, 2010
ISBN: 9789076831008
Language: English and Japanese
Illustrations: Color and black and white pictures
Other: 136 pages, 32 cm by 25 cm, hardcover
Topics: Kabuto
ID: B0182

This book is the follow up to the groundbreaking work of Teruo Orikasa ‘Saotome ha kabuto shashin shū‘ from 1984 (see B0194). Illustrated with helmets from the private collections of Luc Taelman and Aymeric Antien, the book was designed to create a photographic document for those who are eager to find out more about the different Saotome helmet makers. To make sure that the beauty of the helmets itself can be enjoyed, 38 helmets, with over 250 pictures by Jo Anseeuw, were used to illustrate different Saotome smiths. Also included is a scientifically study about the school and a technical analysis of the construction of the helmets, based on the limited amount of facts that are available.

Book Review: Tōsōgu oiebori meihin shūsei by Shigeo Fukushi

Book Review: Tōsōgu oiebori meihin shūsei by Shigeo FukushiTitle: Tōsōgu oiebori meihin shūsei
Author: Shigeo Fukushi
Publisher: Ōtsuka Kōgeisha, 2001
Language: Japanese with some English
Illustrations: Color Pictures
Other: 350 pages, 37 cm by 26.5 cm, hardcover
Topics: Tōsōgu
ID: B0181

A fabulous book by Shigeo Fukushi about the Gotō kinkō tōsōgu artists. The work of the artists outside of these Gotō families are covered in his companion volume Tōsōgu machibori meihin shūsei (B0180). Limited to 600.

Book Review: Tōsōgu machibori meihin shūsei by Shigeo Fukushi

Book Review: Tōsōgu machibori meihin shūsei by Shigeo FukushiTitle: Tōsōgu machibori meihin shūsei
Author: Shigeo Fukushi
Publisher: Inose Insatsu, 2005
Language: Japanese with some English
Illustrations: Color Pictures
Other: 428 pages, 37 cm by 26.5 cm, hardcover
Topics: Tōsōgu
ID: B0180

A fabulous book by Shigeo Fukushi about the kinkō tōsōgu artists, outside of the Gotō families. These Gotō families are covered in his companion volume Tōsōgu oiebori meihin shūsei (B0181). Limited to 700.

Book Review: Ko-ji hō-ten by V. F. Weber

Book Review: Ko-ji hō-ten by V. F. WeberTitle: Ko-ji hō-ten
Author: V. F. Weber
Publisher: Hacker Art Books, 1965
Language: French
Illustrations: Black and white pictures
Other: 511 pages, 39 cm by 30 cm, hardcover
Topics: Culture, History
ID: B0178

V.F. (Victor Frédéric) Weber published this monumental two volume ‘dictionary’ in 1923 with the subtitle “Dictionnaire a l’usage des amateurs et collectionneurs d’objets d’art Japonais et Chinois.“, so it covers both Japanese and Chinese art. This copy is a reprint from 1965.

The books where written with several other monumental encyclopedic works from that era in mind (as acknowledged by Weber in his introduction), among others: Legend in Japanese Art by Henri L. Joly (1908), and Dictionnaire D’Histoire Et De Geographie Du Japon by E. Papinot  (1899).

Not a book about Japanese armour, but a classic book to should be in a serious library on Japanese art and history.

Book Review: Daimyō Seigneurs de la guerre by Chantal Kozyreff (ed.)

Book Review: Daimyō Seigneurs de la guerre by Chantal Kozyreff (ed.)Title: Daimyō Seigneurs de la guerre
Author: Chantal Kozyreff
Publisher: Europalia Japan in Belgium 89, 1989
Language: French
Illustrations: Color pictures
Other: 87 pages, 30 cm by 23 cm, softcover
Topics: Bugu, Kabuto, Katchū, Menpō
ID: B0177

Nice catalog from the big ‘Europalia 89″ exhibition that was held in Belgium. Contains mostly famous kawari kabuto. That exhibition was with full collaboration of the Japanese Armor Society, something they are still very proud of, and rightly so. Several high level members like Mr. Orikasa (Saotome specialist) and Mr. Miura (Armour maker) flew over and stayed for a while in order to set up the exhibition and do demonstrations. Not all items are illustrated in the catalog.

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.