Lethal Elegance: The Art of Samurai Sword Fittings

Rating:
Summary: A truly unique and captivating gallery
Review: Lethal Elegance: The Art Of Samurai Sword Fittings by Joe Earle is an impressive and seminal artbook showcasing 150 rare and beautiful masterwork fittings for Japanese swords. The full-color photographs reveal beauty and exquisite craftsmanship, while the informed and informative text aptly discusses the effects achieved with various alloys, how fitings changed in response to advances in warfare, symbolism, standards, and more. Nearly all the artworks presented were once owned by trained swordsmen, yet their elegance reveals as much of individual style and personality as they do lethal functionalist. Lethal Elegance: The Art Of Samurai Sword Fittings is a truly unique and captivating gallery which is especially commended to the attention of students of Japanese History in general, and samurai culture in particular.