Art of the samurai : Japanese arms and armor, 1156-1868 /
"This extensively illustrated catalogue is published in conjunction with the first comprehensive exhibition devoted to the arts of the samurai, including the finest examples of swords - the spirit of the samurai - as well as sword mountings and fittings, armor and helmets, saddles, textiles, an...
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Corporate Authors: | |
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Group Author: | ; |
Published: |
Metropolitan Museum of Art,
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Publisher Address: | New York : |
Publication Dates: | [2009] |
Literature type: | Book |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Summary: |
"This extensively illustrated catalogue is published in conjunction with the first comprehensive exhibition devoted to the arts of the samurai, including the finest examples of swords - the spirit of the samurai - as well as sword mountings and fittings, armor and helmets, saddles, textiles, and paintings. The works in the catalogue, drawn from public and private collections in Japan, include 34 officially designated National Treasures and 64 Important Cultural Properties, the largest number ever to be shown together at one time. Dating from the 5th to the early 20th century, these majestic objects offer a complete picture of samurai culture and its unique blend of the martial and the refined." "Many of the greatest Japanese swordsmiths are represented in this volume, from early masters such as Yasuie (12th century) and Tomomitsu (14th century) to the Edo-period smiths Nagasone Kotetsu and Kiyomaro. The blades by these and other masters, cherished as much for their beauty as for their cutting efficiency, were equipped with elaborate hilts and scabbards prized for their exquisite craftsmanship and fine materials such as silk, rayskin, gold, lacquer, and certain alloys unique to Japan. Japanese armor is also fully surveyed, from the rarest iron armor of the Kofun period (5th century) to the inventive ceremonial helmets made toward the end of the age of the samurai."--Jacket. |
Item Description: | Published in conjunction with an exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Oct. 21, 2009-Jan. 10, 2010. |
Carrier Form: | xii, 344 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 31 cm |
Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
ISBN: |
9780300142051 0300142056 9781588393456 1588393453 9781588393463 1588393461 |
Index Number: | NK6684 |
CLC: | K883.135.8 |
Call Number: | K883.135.8/A784-1 |
Contents: | Spirit of the samurai / Morihiro Ogawa -- Japanese armor: an overview / Hiroshi Ikeda -- History of the Japanese sword / Kazutoshi Harada -- Sword mountings and fittings / Morihiro Ogawa. |