NEW BOOK: The Art Appreciation of Japanese Sword Fittings

We are carrying a new book, The Art Appreciation of Japanese Sword Fittings, by Shigeo Fukushi. The copyright is March 2012 (Heisei 24 nen). There are approximately 300 tsuba and kodogu beautifully photographed, one to a page, with text in Japanese expaining the theme and history of the artwork shown on the piece. Each photograph is captioned in English with what appears to be almost the full Japanese text. There is a complete index/table of contents in English. This in not a book about smiths, schools and families, but a book about appreciating the actual art depicted on each piece (though each peice is fully identified as to school and artist). The book is divided into several sections that cover Chinese, Indian, and Japanese historical stories and fables, and three sections devoted to animal, plant, and other motifs.

This is a fascinating book covering both well-known and unusual stories and objects depicted on tsuba, kozuka, menuki, and fuchi/kashira. I have purchased a copy for myself and have already spent several hours perusing the photos and stories. The book has a very limited print run. We currently have eight books. It is a museum-catalog quality, trade paperbound book, with glossy flyleaf. See the book gallery for more information and an interior photo.

The price is $85 + shipping/tax.