prices are approximate July 2008

It's sad that there are so few affordable books available on Japanese metalwork . Lethal Elegance is easily the best value(except hardbound!), along with the Rokusho Magazines. Bargains may be had by the vigilant. I will add to this list as time goes on and add other subjects as well.

Paragon books frequently has the listings below

The Baur Collection: Japanese Sword-Fittings and Associated Metalwork (Hardcover)
B.W. Robinson                  Amazon $800.

This for me was the Holy Grail as I discovered it about 1984 in the Dartmouth library and it had the best photos and most variety of anything I had seen. An amazing book. Very hard to find. Heartbreaking price.

Daruma Magazine #58 Very interesting article on Shoami Katsuyoshi

search past issues of Daruma online for metalwork references

Daruma Magazine #65 Has an article written by yours truly on Unno Shomin and Shoami Katsuyoshi

Search other issues for metalwork

The Dragon King of the Sea: Japanese Decorative Art of the Meiji Period from the John R.Young Collection - Oliver Impey, Malcolm Fairley

$10-15.

Lethal Elegance
Joe Earle
MFA Boston publications
ISBN-10: 0878466797
Amazon new $31.50

Masterpieces of Meiji Metalwork
Malcolm Fairley
ASIN : B000IMZKLE
Amazon 2 used

Meiji No Takara - Treasures of Imperial Japan; Metalwork Volume II- Parts 1&2. Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Japanese Art.

Malcolm Fairley

addall.com used

pt1 $269.
pt2 $1166.

Rokusho Magazine     Rokusho Magazine Japan

Vols. 28(sword furniture), 29(cloisonne), 32(late Edo & Meiji metalworks),

34(sword fittings), 36(sophisticated smoking paraphernalia)

These are fantastic catalogues full of wonderful photos. I haven't seen the enamel one but I'm sure it is a killer. I'm trying to find a US source.