BOOKS WITH JAPANESE TEXT All books are new copies and in hard covers unless otherwise stated
'Out of print' does not necessarily mean out of stock
1.
MUROMACHI-KI MINO TOKO NO KENKYU by Suzuki. 8.5"x11.75", dust wrapper, 2006. 377pp all art paper with oshigata of tangs or blades of koto Mino swords on 280 pages, plus genealogical tables, maps and other illustration in the text. No shinto smiths covered, a useful book as it covers all the various groups in Mino, not just Seki, there is only Cox's book on Mino-to (#160) in print apart from this. GBP66
2.
MINO TOKO MEIKAN by Sugiura, 8.5"x12" paper covers with d/w, 2008, 362pp listing 860 of the better Mino smiths from the Nambokucho to the end of the Edo period. There are 475 nakago illustrated, many showing both sides plus a few yari. This is a valuable reference work as Mino blades are commonly encountered. GBP95
3.
HIZEN-TO BIBOROKU [Hizen Sword Notebook] by Yokoyama, 2006. 9x12" slip case, 547pp of which 184pp are oshigata of nakago and signatures,Covers all the Hizen Tadayoshi smiths and their major pupils in detail by a Hizen expert. GBP300
4.
HANAYAKA NA NIHONTO - BIZEN ICHIMONJI - Sano Museum Catalogue 8.75"x11.75" cloth bound with a slip case, 85pp illustrating 52 Ichimonji blades by photographic plates and mostly with oshigata as well, 18 koshirae are also shown in colour. There is a brief 2pp English index. O/P GBP75
5.
KANZAN SHINTO OSHIGATA DICTIONARY by Sato Kanzan, 9"x11.5" card covers. 401pp of oshigata showing the nakago, monouchi & kissaki of 729 shinto & shin-shinto blades from over 400 smiths plus 101pp in English comprising of an introduction, 68pp index in romaji & kanji (68pp), alphabetical English index (3pp) & glossary etc. The oshigata were made by Dr Sato and are taken from Kanzan Oshigata Shinto Jiten. The smiths illustrated are in general the less famous ones that are more likely to be encountered in the west making this a very useful book. GBP95
6.
ZUKAN TOMEI SORAN by Iida. 7.5"x10.5" slip case, 491pp showing 2200 oshigata of the signatures of over 1000 smiths; some oshigata are cut down to the characters only and each is shown with province & period plus an index. A useful book. GBP140
7.
TANTO NO BI: The Beauty of Tanto. Sano Museum Catalogue 2009. 8.75"x11.75" hard bound with brocade pattern cloth, slip case, Japanese text, 162pp illustrating 58 mostly koto tanto blades by photographic plates, some with oshigata or koshirae plus 6 colour plates of early koshirae. Many of the blades do not appear in other books.There is a 24pp explanation of blade types and koshirae and a 2pp brief index to the plates in English. GBP45
8.
GENDAI NIHONTO NO SEIKA (Catalogue of the 1993 Shinsaku-to Exhibition). 14.25"x10.25" soft covers, 59pp illustrating 28 fine modern blades by photographs, the work 26 of the best modern swordsmiths including Sumitani Masamine and Amata Akitsugu, together with 34pp photocopied pages in English containing the biographies of each smith. GBP18
9.
YUMEI KOTO TAIKAN by Iimura. 8.5"x11.5" slip case, 840pp with oshigata and photographic plates on 696pp illustrating about 1000 koto blades from well over 400 smiths with explanations; this and the following book are the best books for blade oshigata on this list (together with the O/P Shinshinto Taikan). GPB430
10.
SHINTO TAIKAN by Iimura. 2 volumes 8.5"x 11.5" slip cases. Vol.1 917pp of which 867pp are plates illustrating oshigata of blades by 315 shinto smiths. Vol.2 732pp showing photographic plates of 286 blades, most of which are in volume 1 as oshigata, plus 85 plates of horimono by various smiths and other information O/S
11.
NIHON NO BIJUTSU #431 Swords From the Fujisawa Collection, by Hiroi, 9" x7.5" paper covers, 106pp of which are plates illustrating blades and mountings donated to the NBTHK by Fujisawa Otoyasu. GBP25
12.
SHIN NIHONTO NO KANTEI NYUMON by Iida. Complete translation by Harry Afu Watson on CD. An essential aid to working with the Japanese text book, Not returnable. GBP10
13.
GYO-KEN (August Swords) by Ogasawara. 8.75"x11.5" slip case, 135pp including 23 colour and 52 black & white full page plates illustrating 50 Imperial swords (both blades & mountings) from the Nara period to the Meiji, with partial drawings of the hamon of each sword. The blade plates are rather dark. English index. GBP125
14.
NIHON NO BIJUTSU #332 (Sword Mountings) by Ogasawara, paper covers, mostly illustrations, of which 17pp are in colour, covers sword mountings from the Nara to Edo periods, but mainly koto. GBP25
15.
SENGOKU BUSHO NO YOSOI Sano Museum Exhibition Catalogue, 2006, 7.75"x11.75" paper covers, 119pp mostly colour plates. Illustrates small fittings by the first 3 Goto masters on 41pp the images magnified, 31 (mostly) kawari kabuto and 5 armours on 41pp plus 5 blades, koshirae and menpo, all the items illustrated belonged to famous 16th century Daimyo, English text to the plates. GBP37
16.
DAI TOKEN ICHI 2003 7"x10" paper covers. Catalogue of the sword show held in Tokyo, 141pp illustrating 100 blades, 28 tsuba, 52 kogai & kozuka including many futokoromono sets, sword mountings, 6 guns and 6 armours that were the best pieces offered by the dealers exhibiting. All illustrations are in colour except blades. GBP38
17.
ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE OF THE TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM SWORD MOUNTINGS 7.5"x10.5", 245pp of which 181 are plates ( 8 in colour) illustrating 321 sword mountings from the Heian to the late Edo period, 172 tsuba from these mountings are also shown. There is a 53pp comprehensive Japanese index and brief 14pp English index to the plates. Temp O/S
18.
EDO NO TOKEN KOSHIRAE by Ide. 8"x6.5",99pp of which 78pp are colour plates illustrating fine sword mountings of the Edo period plus 13 kabuto. GBP45
19.
EDO NO TANTO KOSHIRAE by Ide. 8"x6.5", 99pp of which 69pp are colour plates illustrating 127 fine aikuchi and tanto mountings of the Edo period. GBP45
20.
150 are plates, 61 in colour, illustrating 100 blades, 8 daisho and 16 other mountings together with 41 Goto mitokoromono and 31 tsuba which were handed down in the tokugawa family. Whilst details of the jihada are fine the hamon are unclear. 9pp English index. GBP65
21.
NIHON NO KATCHU (Catalogue of the Armour Exhibition held in Kyoto National Museum in 1987). 7"x10" soft covers. 200pp, almost all plates, 24 in colour illustrating 174 items mostly armours but including helmets, jinbaori and other pieces. English index. Out of Print GBP30
22.
KATCHU (Armour) by Yamagami & Yamagishi. 4"x 6" paper covers, 152pp of which 96 are plates (half in colour) illustrating armour and helmets from the Heian to the Momoyama period. GBP9
23.
SHIN KATCHU-SHI MEIKAN (Armourers' Signature Book) by Sasama. 6"x8.5" flexible binding, 381pp. A list of armour makers with illustrations of signatures, helmets, armours and tsuba by armour makers mostly from the Edo period. Revised from the 1975 edition with more illustrations, some of which are rather dark. No index but with English readings for the armourers names. GBP60
24.
DAIMYO-KE NO KATCHU Armours of the Daimyo Families, 2007. 7.5"x10" paper covers, 174pp all colour showing armours of various Daimyo families such as Ii, Sanada, Kuroda, Todo & Matsudaira. This book mostly illustrates armours not previously seen and is printed on much better stock than Gakken usually uses. GBP35
25.
NIHON NO KATCHU BUGU JITEN by Sasama. 8"x10.5" slip case. 519pp with photos and drawings on every page. This book covers everything connected with armour in the finest detail; it is one of the best book currently available on the subject. Originally in 3 volumes and is slightly abridged from that edition. Temp O/S
26.
ZUSETSU SENGOKU BUSHO 118 - Daimyo of the Sengoku Period, 7.25"x10.25" paper covers, 190pp all colour plates showing the portraits, standards, banners, various mon and other details of 118 16th century daimyo, together with personal items like armour, helmets etc.The names and dates of the daimyo in English. GBP30
27.
ZUSETSU SENGOKU KATCHU SHU Sengoku Period Armour,. 7.25"x10.25" paper cover, 182pp all colour plates illustrating 50 of the personal armours and 20 kabuto of the Sengoku (later 16th century) period daimyo and their accoutrements including banners, jinbaori etc. plus many other helmets and armours. Little English text. GBP33
28.
ZUSETSU SENGOKU KATCHU SHU II Sengoku Period Armour,. 7.25"x10.25" paper cover, 174pp all colour plates illustrating 32 of the personal armours of daimyo and 77 kabuto on 45pp mostly of the Sengoku (later 16th century) period but some earlier, plus their accoutrements including banners, jinbaori etc. plus many other helmets and armours. No English text. GBP33
29.
TSUBA NO DESIGN by Shibata. 6"x8.5", 208pp illustrates 180 tsuba (8 in colour),many showing both sides and grouped according to
design, covers tsuba-ko and kinko about equally, together with sections on tsuba making & prices. Out of print. 1 copy left. GBP37
30.
WORKS OF HIRATA & SHIMIZU by Ito, 8.5"x12" slip case, 367pp of which 287pp are plates illustrating 318 Higo sword fittings, mostly tsuba and in colour, covering two generations of Hirata Hikozo, five generations of Shimizu Jingo plus coverage of works by Chisokutei and Mizumi Koji, the tsuba shows both sides and includes many unknown pieces. English text to the plates. O/S GBP440
31.
NISHIGAKI KANSHIRO by Ito, 8.5"x12", 2005, slip case, 46pp of text plus 210pp of plates (105 in colour) illustrating 285 pieces made by the first three generations of the Nishigaki family, about a two-thirds are tsuba, all showing both sides, the rest are fuchi-kashira. Many of the tsuba have not previously been illustrated. particularly the soft metal tsuba. A few of the fourth generation are shown.Brief English index to the plates This is a very useful book as it enables collectors to identify items that previously would not have been thought to be Nishigaki school work. O/S GBP270
32
ECHIZEN KINAI TSUBA by Tsuruoka, 7.5"x10.5", 196pp, illustrates 139 tsuba, 6 in colour. The authors have reinterpreted the history of this school and suggest that there were 6 generations of 'Ishikawa or ko-Kinai' followed by 7 generations of 'Takahashi Kinai', if true many tsuba now thought to be fake Kinai would seem to be genuine. GBP120
33.
OTANI. Tanoshii Shinchu Zogan Tsuba 100 Tsuba. 9.25"x6.25" pictorial boards & slip case, 130pp illustrates in colour 105 fine brass inlaid tsuba (showing both sides) mostly from the Onin, Heianjo and Yoshiro schools, life size tsuba are shown . GBP50
34.
TSUBA KODOGU KANTEI JITEN (Judgement of Tsuba & Fittings) by Wakayama & Iida. 6"x8.5", 246pp almost all illustrations covering all the major schools and explains how to judge them. Pages 204-242 are in the form of a pictorial quiz with the answers starting on page 243. This is a revised edition of the same authors 1971 publication ‘Tsuba Kodogu Kantei Nyumon’ . GBP42
35.
GOTO-KE JUSHICHI-DAI NO TOSOGU (17 Generations of the Goto Family). 9"x 11.75", soft covers, 1994 Sano Museum Catalogue, 146pp of which 88pp are colour plates illustrating 170 pieces of Goto metalwork, mostly kogai, kozuka, menuki plus some tsuba & sword mountings, most pieces are shown enlarged, menuki to 5", kozuka to 7", the reverses of about 70 are shown, plus origami, genealogical information and a 6pp English index to the plates. Out of Print GBP70
36.
TSUBA NO BI (Beautiful Tsuba) by Kashima & others. 6"x8.5" soft covers. 246pp almost all plates (4 in colour) illustrating 313 tsuba full size and 54 small size. Covers tsuba-ko with very little kinko. GBP36
37.
KANO NATSUO MEIHIN-SHU by Ikeda & Yoshida. 8.75"x12" slip case. 251pp mostly illustrations (10 in colour) with little text showing 34 tsuba, many kozuka, fuchi-kashira, menuki, most showing both sides plus boxes, paintings, cigar cases and metal plaques by Natsuo. GBP190
38.
39.
TOSOGU MACHIBORI MEIHIN SHUSEI by Fukushi Shigeo, 10.5 "x15", cloth covered slipcase, 2005, 427pp of which 248pp are colour plates including ten full length fold-out plates of fine koshirae, this is the companion volume to the author's earlier book on the Goto family and covers the machi-bori (street carvers) kinko schools.The remainder of the book gives genealogies, signatures and other information on the various schools. The book does not cover the tsuba-ko. All the pieces shown are the best work of the artists and are from the Tokyo National Museum collection and are illustrated in fine detail. There is English text to the plates and a 10pp English index. This is a fabulous book which is hard to find in the west. GBP375
40.
BAKUMATSU MEIJI NO CHOZETSU GIKO Excellent Techniques of Metal Crafts, the Late Edo and Meiji Period. 2010/11 Sano Museum Exhibition Catalogue. 8.5"x11" soft covers, 162pp including an 8pp English index. The book is almost all colour illustrations of superb late period metalwork from the Sanenzaka Museum, it covers the work of artists such as Kano Natsuo, Shoami Katsuyoshi, Wada Isshin, Unno Shomin and many others. Most pieces are vases, boxes and okimono plus a small section on Miochin iron insects and animals. There are 18 tsuba and 36 kozuka illustrated. GBP30
41.
KUROKAWA INSTITUTE OF ANCIENT CULTURES COLLECTION - JAPANESE SWORD GUARDS 10.5"x 14.5" slip case, 251pp. Illustrates 33 tsuba in colour and 262 in black & white, many showing both sides, plus pages from a design book for Higo tsuba. The emphasis is on tsuba-ko with 117 tsuba from Higo, there are few kinko pieces shown; with an English introduction by Kashima and a 21pp English index for the b&w illustrations only. Limited edition of 300 copies. GBP385
42.
NARA SANSAKU (The Three Artists of Nara) by Yoneno, 1974. 9"x12" slip case, 648pp of which 271pp are plates (104 in colour) illustrating 404 pieces of sword fittings, mostly tsuba by the famous artists Nara Toshinaga, Tsuchiya Yasuchika and Sugiura Joi. This is a lavishly illustrated book in which the author explains his own theories about the artists which don't always agree with those of other experts. There is an English introduction and captions for the plates. GBP295
43.
KINKO TSUBA MEIHIN-SHU 9"x11.5" paper covers, Rokusho #28, 2005, 96pp of which 85pp are colour plates illustrating 19th century kinko tsuba from the Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum, the tsuba are shown magnified to 4-5" and sometimes to full page. The plates are superb and show great detail, the artists names are in English. GBP36
44.
TSUBA TOSO KINKO Rokusho #34, Rokusho #34, 2007, 9"x11.5" paper covers, 83pp almost all of which are colour plates illus-trating 19th century kinko small fittings with some tsuba from the Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum, many of the pieces are shown magnified. The plates are superb and show great detail, there is a detailed English description for each plate. This is a companion volume to #54 on the Japanese page. GBP45
45.
KUROGANE NO HANA - HIGO TSUBA-SHU by Miki, 8.5"x12" slip case, 176pp illustrating 206 Higo tsuba, some showing both sides. This book covers the Hayashi, Kamiyoshi, Nishigaki, Shimizu and Tsuboi schools, there is particularly valuable coverage of the last group showing 58 tsuba that are copies of those by other Higo schools. The illustrations are rather pale but show good detail. There are tsuba that do not appear in other books. Out of Print GBP150
46.
DRAWINGS WITH TAGANE CHISELS 8.25"x11.75". 1997, paper covers, 96pp almost all colour plates illustrating 25 tsuba, 26 kozuka, 12 menuki, 17 futatokoromono & mitokoromono, Most are shown both sides, there are also fuchi-kashira, pages from a design book and related metalwork and paintings. Catalogue of an Osaka exhibition. Introduction in English only. Out of Print GBP33
