Title: 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.
Title: 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.
Title: 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.
Title: 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.
Title: 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.
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.
Title: 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.
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.
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,…
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!
Title: Uchigatana-goshirae
Title: Helmets of the Saotome School
Title: Tōsōgu oiebori meihin shūsei
Title: Tōsōgu machibori meihin shūsei
Title: Ko-ji hō-ten
Title: Daimyō Seigneurs de la guerre
Title: Samurai Opere della Collezione Koelliker e delle Raccolte Extraeuropee del Castello Sforzesco
Title: Samurai
Title: Kunst in Japan tijdens de Edo-periode 1603-1868
Title: Samurai: Japanse wapens and wapenrustingen