Description
Japanese swords, particularly those wielded by famous samurai warriors, hold a continuing fascination for collectors of fine arts and historical military weapons. This book is designed to enhance one's appreciation for the wide variety of Japanese swords (as well as their related polearms), their manufacture and their preservation. A fascinating opening chapter explains how the elite Samurai class dominated Japan for more than a thousand years, how technological and ideological advances overtook the Samurai in the 1860s, heralding a more up-to-date political and military system of governance, and how such changes affected Samurai sword design and manufacture. Subsequent chapters present topics of greatest relevance to today's sword collector: namely, the modern Japanese sword; different types of swords and their construction and testing; collecting and studying Japanese swords (and the tremendously important etiquette involved); and techniques of preserving and polishing swords. This book is beautifully illustrated with paintings, photographs, drawings, and maps. In addition, there is an in-depth glossary and useful tables explaining Japanese calligraphic symbols relating to swords, both of great value to the collector.… (more)
Library's review
A fascinating opening section of the book explains how the elite samurai class dominated Japan and her people's way of life for more than a thousand years, how technological and ideological advance overtook the samurai in the 1860s, heralding more up-to-date political and military systems of governance, and how such changes affected sword design and manufacture.
Important though the samurai period was, aspects in other sections of the book will rightly be seen as being of more relevance to today's sword collector: namely, the chapters on the modern Japanese sword; different types of swords and their construcion and testing; collecting and studying Japanese swords ( and the tremendously important etiquette involved); and the techniques of preserving and polishing swords.
The pages are floridly illustrated with dynamic paintings, specially taken photogaphs, detailed diagrams, and maps. In addition, there is an indepth glossary, while also included are most useful tables explaining many Japanese calligraphy symbols, both of great reference value to the collector.
Clive Sinclaire is an instructor in the kendo form of martial arts and has been collecting Japanese swords for more than forty years. He is Chairman of the To-ken Society of Great Britain and frequently writes articles on Japanese sword culture and collecting that are featured on the society's website (www.To-ken.com), as well as in magazines. He has become a frequent visitor to Japan in the coures of his research and studies, and in particular to the NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu To-ken Hozon Kyokai)sword shows.
For 700 years Japanese civilization was dominated by a single warrior caste. This project looks at the weaponry of Samurai men and women over the centuries with specifically commissioned photography of reenactors wearing and museum-quality clothing and weaponry.
An outstanding book for the serious collector or just for someone interested in the role the Japanese swords played in the long history of Japan. This book is a must have reference book for any collector whether new or advanced. The cost of this book is a fraction of what it would be for any similar type of book written in the Japanese language.- John Parker
Contents
Introduction and acknowledgments
Glossary
Section One
The rise and fall of the samurai
Development of the Japanese sword
Historical backgroaund to Hizen-to
Section Two
The modern Japanese sword
Japanese polearms
Swords: Tpes, construction, and testing
Section Three
The etiquette and customs for sword appreciation and viewing
Collecting and studying Japanese swords
Preservation, Shinsa, polishing
Appendix
Transliterations: Periods, Provinces, Swordsmiths' names
Index