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.

Book Review: Armes Japonaises dans les collections privées Françaises by Robert Burawoy

Book Review: Armes Japonaises dans les collections privées Françaises by Robert BurawoyTitle: Armes Japonaises dans les collections privées Françaises
Author: Robert Burawoy
Publisher: Galerie Robert Burawoy, 1977
Language: French
Illustrations: Color pictures and black and white pictures
Other: 80 pages, 30.5 cm by 21.5 cm, hardcover
Topics: Bugu, Kabuto, Katchū, Menpō, Nihontō, Sōmen, Tōsōgu
ID: B0169

This is a pioneering (exhibition) book from Robert Burawoy that shows the quality of the French collections already in the late 70’s. Some of these pieces are still in France, some have moved to other countries. A classic book. The hardcover is limited to 300, numbered and signed. There is also a softcover version.

Book Review: Orientations October 1992 by Martin Lorber, Elizabeth Knight (ed.)

Book Review: Orientations October 1992 by Martin Lorber, Elizabeth Knight (ed.)Title: Orientations October 1992
Author: Elizabeth Knight, Martin Lorber
Publisher: Orientations Magazine Ltd., 1992
Language: English
Illustrations: Color Pictures
Other: 93 pages, 28.5 cm by 21 cm, softcover
Topics: Kabuto, Katchū, Menpō, Sōmen, Tōsōgu
ID: B0168

This magazine issue contains an interesting article on the fabulous Japanese Armour collection (and how it came to be) of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Book Review: Shogun The life of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu by Ian Bottomley

Book Review: Shogun The life of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu by Ian BottomleyTitle: Shogun The life of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu
Author: Ian Bottomley
Publisher: Royal Armouries, 2005
ISBN: 0-948092-58-0
Language: English
Illustrations: Color Pictures
Other: 27.5 cm by 22 cm, Softcover
Topics: Abumi, Bagu, Bugu, Documents, History, Kabuto, Katchū, Kura, Menpō, Nihontō, Paintings, Samurai, Teppō, Tōsōgu
ID: B0166

Very nice catalog written by Ian Bottomley at the occasion of the exhibition “Shogun: The Life of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu”, held at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, in collaboration with Nikko Toshogu Shrine in 2005. Lavishly illustrated with Tokugawa related armours, documents, fold out screen reproductions, and many other items.

Book Review: Arms, Armures et Objets d’Art du Japon 2009 by Jean-Christophe Charbonnier

Book Review: Arms, Armures et Objets d’Art du Japon 2009 by Jean-Christophe CharbonnierTitle: Arms, Armures et Objets d'Art du Japon 2009
Author: Jean-Christophe Charbonnier
Publisher: ToriiLinks Editions, 2009
ISBN: 2-9520006-4-6
Language: French and English
Illustrations: Color Pictures
Other: 63 pages, 30 cm by 21 cm, softcover
Topics: Bugu, Kabuto, Katchū, Menpō, Netsuke, Nihontō, Paintings, Tōsōgu
ID: B0163

Very nice sales catalog of Jean-Christophe Charbonnier.

Book Review: 600 Japanese Sword Fittings Terms by W. M. Hawley, Panchita S. Hawley

Book Review: 600 Japanese Sword Fittings Terms by W. M. Hawley, Panchita S. HawleyTitle: 600 Japanese Sword Fittings Terms
Author: Panchita S. Hawley, W. M. Hawley
Publisher: Panchita S. Hawley, 1998
ISBN: 0-910714-39-2
Language: English
Illustrations: Line Drawings
Other: 133 pages, 28 cm by 22 cm, softcover
Topics: Nihontō, Tōsōgu
ID: B0154

W. M. Hawley was one of these pioneers who opened up a lot of info to the West. He is famous for his “Japanese Swordsmiths”, but he also made many other (and smaller) books. This is one of them. 600 Japanese Sword Fittings Terms is one of several volumes that contain specific terms for a certain subset of Japanese arms, illustrated by mainly line drawings. The only regret is that the kanji are still all hand written. Otherwise fantastic resource.

Book Review: The age of the samurai by Toimi Jaatinen (ed.)

Book Review: The age of the samurai by Toimi Jaatinen (ed.)Title: The age of the samurai
Author: Toimi Jaatinen
Publisher: Kunstkamera, 2004
ISBN: 951-609-230-6
Language: English
Illustrations: Color Pictures
Other: 151 pages, 23 cm by 22 cm, hardcover
Topics: Bugu, Documents, History, Kabuto, Katchū, Menpō, Nihontō, Paintings, Samurai, Teppō, Tōsōgu
ID: B0152

Nice book that was published during the process of creating the exhibition “Samurai – A Thousand Years of Cults in Culture” in Malmö in 2004. Although the book is more focussed on the Samurai culture as a whole, it is interesting from an armour perspective as some armours from the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, Kunstkamera (St. Petersburg) are in here.

Book Review: Samurai The Flowering of Japan by Andy Mancabelli, David Pepper

Book Review: Samurai The Flowering of Japan by Andy Mancabelli, David PepperTitle: Samurai The Flowering of Japan
Author: Andy Mancabelli, David Pepper
Publisher: Frazier History Museum, 2012
ISBN: #978-0-692-01744-9
Language: English
Illustrations: Color Pictures
Other: 70 pages, 24 cm by 28 cm, softcover
Topics: Bugu, Documents, Kabuto, Katchū, Kura, Menpō, Nihontō, Paintings, Sōmen, Teppō, Tōsōgu
ID: B0150

Very nice book that was published at the occasion of an exhibition in 2012 in the Frazier History Museum. Several very nice kabuto and armours (and many other samurai related items). Nice photography.

Book Review: Bulletin Association Franco-Japonaise No 16 Janvier 1987 by Bernard Fournier-Bourdier (ed.)

Book Review: Bulletin Association Franco-Japonaise No 16 Janvier 1987 by Bernard Fournier-Bourdier (ed.)Title: Bulletin Association Franco-Japonaise No 16 Janvier 1987
Author: Bernard Fournier-Bourdier
Publisher: Association Franco-Japonaise, 1987
Language: French
Illustrations: Black and white pictures
Other: 45 pages, 24 cm by 18 cm, softcover
Topics: Inrō, Kabuto, Nihontō, Tōsōgu
ID: B0149

Another number of the Bulletin Association Franco-Japonaise. This one contains mainly several interesting non-armour related articles. Only one beautiful kabuto by Yoshimichi Katsuyoshi (student of the famous Yoshimichi) is decribed by Robert Burawoy. In my copy, a small booklet (in English) was included with an Armour Glossary, also from Mr. Burawoy and an English translation of the magazine.

Book Review: Bushido International Journal of Japanese Arms by Robert Benson (ed.), Elton K. Ericson

Book Review: Bushido International Journal of Japanese Arms by Robert Benson (ed.), Elton K. EricsonTitle: Bushido International Journal of Japanese Arms (9 numbers)
Author: Elton K. Ericson, Robert Benson
Publisher: B & E Enterprises, 1979-1981
Language: English
Illustrations: Color and black and white pictures
Other: 48-50 pages, 25.5 cm by 18 cm, softcover
Topics: Kabuto, Katchū, Kura, Menpō, Nihontō, Sōmen, Teppō, Tōsōgu
ID: B0137

Bushido, the magazine that Robert Benson and Elton K. Ericson started to publish in 1979, lasted only 9 numbers but what an achievement it was. Each magazine contains interesting articles on armour, nihonto, tōsōgu and budō. I have only but admiration for what they accomplished in an age where it was quite hard (and expensive) to publish a partially color magazine.