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.
About the Author
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 as well as in magazines. He has become a frequent visitor to Japan in the course of his research and studies, and in particular to the NBTHK (Nihon Bijitsu To-ken Hozon Kyodai) sword shows.
Industry Reviews
"There are several things I immediately like about this book. It is easy enough to comprehend, yet detailed enough to serve as a reference book for later study. That's a hard thing to accomplish. If you're looking to at least be able to understand and carry on a conversation about Japanese swords in an intelligent manner than you shouldn't look any farther than this book." -Martial Thoughts podcast
"Sinclaire's beautifully illustrated book is not merely about the niceties of dealing in antiques, although it is well designed for the eccentric reader of his subtitle. It offers a grand tour of its subject, taking in plenty of the basics." -Times Literary Supplement
"Sinclaire takes you on the most thorough of journeys and provides a realistic, helpful guide to appreciating and collecting these blades from ancient, antique and contemporary sources. Fully illustrated, erudite, and well edited, this is a fine guide." -Maine Antique Digest
"The book is designed beautifully and the sections flow one into each other. The narrative guides the reader from the ancient, to the old, to the contemporary helping to appreciate each style and time, as well as know what to look for in collections. This volume has many wonderful pictures, illustrations, and excellent detail about recognizing the historical accuracy of Samurai swords. A guide like this is valuable for anyone looking to start their collection, or just know more about the fascinating Samurai swords." -Man of la Book blog
"As a beginner I feel as if I have somewhere to start if I were to buy a sword as a collector's item. One thing this book surprised me with is the culture of the Samurai Sword. Even the level of etiquette required to simply view a sword are meticulous. Overall, it seems to be a pretty solid book and a great item to have on the shelf." -Martial Arts & Action Movies blog
