Japanese arms & armor

from dust jacket This is a splendidly produced and lavishly illustrated volume. Never before have so many color and black-and-white photographs, together with drawings and reproductions of old woodcuts, been presented in a work printed in English on Japanese arms and armor. Over the centuries, the warriors of old Japan and their armorers devoted great skill and care to the style and quality of their miitary accouterments. This is more than evident when one studies the details illustrated in this work and sees such examples as the remarkable chiseling confined to the narrow panels on the deadly sword blades or the minute ornamentation on sword guards and mounts, all of which are well represented in this volume with its superb show more large-scale illustrations. Of particular interest in this work are the great variety of shapes of helmets: these are fine examples of the degree of intricate detail in which the Japanese craftsman worked, and here his creative skill is shown at its best. With conventional helmets built up of narrow plates and the more ornate styles, where the shape on an animal's head or some vegetable or exotic fruit is chosen, it is easy to forget that these beautiful creations are firstly functional-to be worn while defending life an limb. The majority of pieces illustrated belong to the Edo period, from 1614 to 1867, which is of particular interest to all students of the art and history of Japan. The many pages of photographs were specially printed for this volume in Italy. There are wonderful collections of Japanese art treasures in the Museo Stibbert in Florence and in the Museo Oriental in Venice. The introdutory text is by H. Russell Robinson, F.S.A., of the Tower of London, author of several standard works on Japanese arms and armor. Mr. Robinson has enhanced his introduction to the plates with his own fine drawings. Contents List of Illustrations Preface I The Protohistoric Period (up to 793) II The Early and Late Heian Periods (794-1185) III The Kamakura Period (1186-1333) IV The Muromachi Period (1334-1572) V The Momoyama Period (1573-1602) VI The Edo Period (1603-1867) VII The Sword and Its Fittings show less