Japanese metalwork books?

Trevor_F2 · April 25, 2005, 4:11am

I’ve just finished another read through this great little book
[Japanese Patinas] … and it’s got me thinking.

Can anyone recommend a book(s) that features high quality photographs
of Japanese metalwork, particularly jewellery and decorative metal
objects? I’m thinking of stuff using silver, gold and especially the
traditional Japanese alloys shaku-do, shibu-ichi, etc.

Cheers,
Trevor F. in The City of Light
www.touchmetal.com

Jesse_Brennan · April 26, 2005, 4:29am

Can anyone recommend a book(s) that features high quality photographs
of Japanese metalwork, particularly jewellery and decorative metal
objects?  I'm thinking of stuff using silver, gold and especially the
traditional Japanese alloys shaku-do, shibu-ichi, etc.

This was put together to send to someone I met at a workshop not
particularly what you asked for but here it is:

http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/tsuba.htm
http://www.knives.com/tsuba.html
http://pages.prodigy.net/tlbuck/tsuka/tsuka.htm
http://home.planet.nl/~sebregts/index.html

I have see this done:

http://inaba.nims.go.jp/movie/TATARA/tatara.html
http://inaba.nims.go.jp/movie/tatara/English.html
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~hn7y-mur/mononoke/monolink11link1e.htm

have a bit of video but never edited it – will have to find it.

Books:

The craft of the Japanese Sword

Mokume Gane - A Comprehensive Study

Mokume Gane ISBN 0713661569

jesse

James_DeRosa_Jr · April 27, 2005, 2:45am

Trevor,

I don’t recall any books, but there is a website which shows various
traditional Japanese crafts including metalworking. There are some
very beautiful objects on these pages:

http://www.kougei.or.jp/english/index.html

James DeRosa, Jr.
140 Clifton Drive
Boardman, OH 44512-1616
(330) 782-0702

dcdietz2 · April 28, 2005, 3:54am

James,

http://www.kougei.or.jp/english/index.html

Wow…what a neat site. I could spend hours lookingatr all the
goodies. I have visited Japan dozens of times of the years and have
many Japanese friends. So I have a deep appreciation of their
artistic abilities. Thanks a bunch for bringing this site to our
attention!

Cheers from Don at The Charles Belle Studio in SOFL where simple
elegance IS fine jewelry! @coralnut2

Trevor_F2 · April 29, 2005, 2:53am

http://www.kougei.or.jp/english/index.html

Hello James,

I have to agree with Don, that’s quite the site. Unfortunately the
metalwork part of it seems to focus on bladesmithing which isn’t the
kind of stuff I was looking for, though there was a nice little bit
under Higo Inlay.

Given the quality and workmanship involved I’m surprised that there
aren’t volumes and volumes written on this subject. Actually there
probably are volumes and volumes but I’ll bet they’re in Japanese.

Cheers,
Trevor F.
in The City of Light

GINIROLL · April 29, 2005, 2:53am

There is a beautiful book called “Contemporary Japanese Jewellery”
by Simon Fraser. I believe I got it on Amazon. Hope this helps.

Gini in beautiful St. Petersburg, FL where spring is lingering