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Of Brigands and Bravery - 108 Suikoden Prints by Kuniyoshi
  
Size: 9.5” x 11” - Pages: 200 - Published: 2003 - Price: $65 - Binding: Softcover
This is the first translated compilation (in English) of Kuniyoshi's "108 Heroes of the Suikoden " (Tsûzoku Suikoden gôketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori). This publication reproduces the 74 known designs of the series in full color, each accompanied by explanatory text about each print. "The Suikoden" is the Japanese adaptation of the 14th-century Chinese vernacular novel "Shuihu zhuan", which recounts the exploits of a group of brave and righteous rebels on Mount Liang. Kuniyoshi's bold colors and enormous attention to details reawakened Japan's passion for these heroes and consequently they are and have been hugely drawn upon for tattoo imagery. Very popular with Yakuza, Tebori Artists and Japanese Style Tattoo enthusiasts. Book also includes a biography of Kuniyoshi. This one is a must have reference book. This book is temporarily out of stock....
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The Faithful Samurai - 47 Ronin Prints by Kuniyoshi
  
Size: 9.5” x 12” - Pages: 192 - Published: 2006 - Price: $65 - Binding: Softcover
This is a copy of Kyosai's 100 Apparitions, an amazing collection of prints from one of the most macabre Ukiyo-e printers. This book is now OUT OF PRINT. Kyosai was a student of Kuniyoshi and these two stand out among the painters from the floating world for their renditions of things strange, weird and frightening. Kyosai was an avid Sake drinker and an amazing storyteller, he enjoyed frightening his audiences and could always touch a nerve with his vivid imagination. He has been said to spare no canvas in his paintings, they are busy and multifaceted, the center object rarely being what captures the eye after the initial reaction of shock wears off. Hiding in the background are oni (japanese mythological demons), ghosts, skeletons and blood hungry ghouls. (plus several things I can't identify). His pieces are brilliant for larger tattoo pieces and has a hundred little images that would make great tattoos as well. This will be one of those books you don't want to leave around the shop but pull out for your favorite customers, pieces you can truly get excited about. The book would also make a great addition to any ukiyo-e collection. Text is Japanese.
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Yamaguchi Akira
  
Size: 7.5” x 10” - Pages: 80 - Published: 2006 - Price: $50 - Binding: Softcover
Yamaguchi Akira's work is like going through Lewis Carroll's looking glass - in Japanese. Everything appears normal at first, busy yes, but normal until, upon closer inspection, incongruities begin to appear. He seamlessly merges modern day happenstance into meticulously crafted ukiyo-e scenes. It is brilliant and unsettling. Dipietro writes, "Yamaguchi, 33, has long been working with the juxtaposition of different historical eras in his expertly-crafted and finely-detailed ink on paper drawings and acrylic and oil on canvas paintings. There is a real sophistication to his process -- the artist does not simply drop a salaryman into a Tokugawa pastoral scene, rather he seamlessly integrates different and disparate period moods, clues, and symbols, and does this so cleverly that it is often not apparent until one closely inspects the pictures. For example, a man in a yukata, sitting on zabuton in an old izakaya, with the mama-san hovering over him holding a tray of not sake, but milk. Other examples, such as the Russian cavalry man riding a half-horse, half-motorcycle, juxtapose in a way that is not as subtle but no less well-integrated." This self titled book includes a preface by the artist in English and a preface by Art History Professor Yuji Yamashita - also in English. Print titles in Japanese and English. A truly brilliant collection of artwork.
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Illustration Works by Tsuyoshi Nagano
  
Size: 8.5” x 11.5” - Pages: 95 - Published: 2006 - Price: $60 - Binding: Softcover
This is a book I picked up for myself and thought I'd add to the collection, the artwork is amazing. It is by much sought after artist Tsuyoshi Nagano and is a brilliant collection of his artwork used for movie or video game advertisements & packaging. Nagano's artwork is beautiful and compelling. It is busy, there is a lot going on in each page and his color choice is bold and draws the eye. Lots of brilliant samurai and warrior imagery. Beautiful horses and armor. A surprise section in the back of some magazine art he did on star wars (Japanese Promo stuff). All in all a very cool collection of imagery. This book includes full color, full page illustrations with text in Japanese. Great for collectors of Japanese art or Suikoden enthusiasts.
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Samurai Armor Design
  
Size: 6” x 9” - Pages: 330 - Published: 2008 - Price: $65 - Binding: Softcover
This is an amazing book by the people that did the Kingyo and Noh book I have in other auctions (PIE) - if you are going to make one new acquisition this month, this should be it. It is called Samurai Armor Designs and includes 330 pages of armor, helmets and kimono, with occasional swords and accessories thrown in for good measure. Includes full color, full page photos with descriptions in both English and Japanese. Predominately photos - this is more of a coffee table book - excellent reference for artists.
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More Japanese Classic Images w/CD-ROM
  
Size: 7” x 9” - Pages: 127 - Published: 2001 - Price: $45 - Binding: Softcover
This book is designed to help people create their own stationary/new years card...hence the inclusion of a CD-ROM. The book is a great collection of traditional Japanese imagery, all in full color. The CD-ROM allows you to play with these images, change them to monochrome designs, thicken lines and play around until you've created the exact image you're after. With some luck you'll be able to give you customer an idea of the design without having to laborously draw it out (over and over). This book includes some great images of goldfish, all sorts of flowers including mums and cherry blossom, archways, fans, men and womens kimono and fabric designs, tons of great birds - crane and hawk - sea life, Mt. Fuji scenes, dragons, foo dogs, turtles, workers, warriors, bamboo and a page each for all 12 chinese zodiac animals: dog, cock, monkey, boar, goat, horse, snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger, ox, and rat. Very cool book and a great reference book to have in the shop.
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Awesome OOP Anna Tsubaki Book
  
Size: 7” x 9” - Pages: 100 - Published: 2001 - Price: $70 - Binding: Softcover
This is an awesome book, I love Anna Tsubaki!! It is called AN UKIYO-E HUNDRED SCENES OF THE YOUNG EDO BUDDIES and is a quite rare collection, I just found five at a back alley store in Jimbocho. Tsubaki skillfully blends a sleek contemporary art style with traditional ukiyo-e like printwork. Brilliant colors and crisp renditions of tattooed street warriors and punk kids in kimono. Artful fusion of old and new Japanese culture is reminiscent of Tenmyouya Hisashi. Full page, brilliantly colored prints. 100's of images that would make excellent tattoos and loaded with imagery that will hopefully spark original ideas. This book is limited edition and out of print. It is used, in excellent condition, text is in Japanese and English.
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Kimiya Masago - Great Samurai!
  
Size: 8.5” x 10” - Pages: 153 - Published: 2006 - Price: $58 - Binding: Hardcover
This is a book I picked up for myself and thought I'd add, the artwork is amazing. It is by Kimiya Masago and includes an amazing collection of outlaws, ronin, warriors, menacing villans and beautiful women illustrations. Masago's artwork is beautiful and compelling. Brilliant color and a close attention to detail make his illustrations pop off the page. This book includes explanations in both English and Japanese. Great for collectors of Japanese art or Suikoden enthusiasts. Great ideas for non-traditional Japanese-esque tattoos.
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Neputa Paintings
  
Size: 8.5” x 8.5” - Pages: 120 - Published: 2004 - Price: $48 - Binding: Softcover
This book was put out by Hirosaki University where the Neputa festival has been held for over 300 years. The paintings are done on huge lanterns which are set to float on the Sea of Japan to ward off disease and natural disasters. Themes include many warriors battling enemies and gods triumphing over demons and evil spirits. The colors are intense and brilliant. This is a great book for anyone interested in traditional Japanese art and culture, and as an artist's reference. It is a great source for anyone interested an a large traditional Japanese tattoo.The text is in Japanese but the book includes an introduction in english and the book is predominately illustrations.
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Kuniyoshi's Suikoden in Outline
click for sample pages....
Size: 10” x 14.5” - HUGE!! - Pages: 102 - Published: 2004 - Price: $165 - Binding: Softcover w/cardboard case
This is an insanely cool tattoo reference book called Kuniyoshi's Suikoden in Outline, put out by the Japan Tattoo Institute. This book is intense consisting of full page monochrome outlines of the warriors (Samurai) pulled directly from his Ukiyo-e. It includes a section in the back of the same images, smaller and in color, for additional reference. The attention to detail is insane, Kuniyoshi is a true master of Ukiyo-e art and a very popular source for Japanese tattoo motif. The names of the warriors are in English, the remaining text is minimal and in Japanese.
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Heroes of the Suikoden 1 by Masayuki Miyata
  
Size: 8.5” x 11.5” - Pages: 160 - Published: 2002 - Price: $55 - Binding: Softcover
This is a book I just picked up for myself the artwork is amazing. It is by Masayuki Miyata and is his rendition of the stories from the Heroes of the Suikoden - many images of spying, fighting, rape, plundering and pillaging. The stories of the 108 heroes of the Suikoden goes back to an old Chinese novel about 108 honorable bandits similar to Robin Hood and his merry men. At the beginning of the 19th century it became very popular in Japan and became one of the favorite subjects of Japanese prints.Horiyoshi III published a collection based on these warriors. Miyata's artwork is simple but very compelling. Text is in Japanese but minimal, predominately full color images. Great for collectors of Japanese art or Suikoden enthusiasts. Great ideas for non-tradition Japanese-esque tattoos.
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Japan Warrior Arts in Outline
click for sample pages....
Size: 10 " x 14.5" -Pages 130 - Price: $165 - Softcover w/ Cardboard Slipcase
Japan Warrior Arts in Outline, put out by the Japan Tattoo Institute. This book is a brilliant resource for anyone interested in imagery for large Japanese pieces. Pulling from musha-e (woodblocks featuring samurai imagery) The book consists of large full page monochrome outlines of warriors (Samurai) in a variety of positions and activities. The book includes a section in the front of the Ukiyo-e pulled from, smaller and in color, for additional reference. The names of each Samurai is written in both English and Japanese, the remaining text is minimal and Japanese.
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Heroes of the Suikoden 2 by Masayuki Miyata
  
Size: 8.5” x 11.5” - Pages: 160 - Published: 2002 - Price: $55 - Binding: Softcover
This is a book I just picked up for myself the artwork is amazing. It is by Masayuki Miyata and is his rendition of one of the stories from the Heroes of the Suikoden - many images of spying, fighting, rape, plundering and pillaging. The stories of the 108 heroes of the Suikoden goes back to an old Chinese novel about 108 honorable bandits similar to Robin Hood and his merry men. At the beginning of the 19th century it became very popular in Japan and became one of the favorite subjects of Japanese prints.Horiyoshi III published a collection based on these warriors. Miyata's artwork is simple but very compelling. This book is softcover, appx. 8.5" x 11.5" and160 pages. Text is in Japanese but minimal, predominately full color images. Great for collectors of Japanese art or Suikoden enthusiasts. Great ideas for non-tradition Japanese-esque tattoos.
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Japanese Samurai & Ronin Imagery from the 1950's & 60's
  
Size: 8.5” x 12” - Pages: 140 - Published: 2003 - Price: $48 - Binding: Softcover
This is another pretty cool little book. It features some great Ronin/Samurai artwork from Japanese comics (manga) covers from the 1950's and 60's. It includes both color and monochrome prints, and is a great reference book for warrior designs. Text is in Japanese and the book read right to left. Great for collectors of Japanese art or Japanese nostalgia enthusiasts. 100's of great ideas for Japanese-esque tattoo design.
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58 Musha by Horiyoshi III
click for sample pages....
Japanese master Horiyoshi III's new book 58 Musha is finally out and is just beautiful. The book is B4 size and hardback in a cardboard slipcover...like his others...and is on the Musha, magical warriors of legend. Most of these images depict an animal and a warrior. There are a couple of insane fox illustrations, koi, frog, a spider, a dragon. Really really amazing stuff. This is one of his best books yet.
Size: 10” x 14” - Pages: 116 - Published: 2008 - Price: $170 - Binding: Hardcover
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Japanese Samurai Armor Book vol. 2
click for sample pages....
Size: 7 " x 10" - Published: 2009 -Pages 175 - Price: $40 - Softcover
This is a really cool book on Samurai armor perfect for anyone interested in Japanese warrior attire. It includes 175 pages of imagery and features entire suits of armor as well as pages devoted to helmets, chest pieces and kimono. It includes full color, full page photos, text in Japanese.
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Hirose Kinzo (Ekin) Illustrations
click for sample pages....
Size: 19cm x 26cm - Pages: 119 - Published: 2009 - Price: $48 - Binding: Softcover
This is a collection of paintings by newly rediscovered byobu painter Hirose Kinzo (called Ekin by his peers). He was a talented youth in Tokyo who was force to flee under so say unfounded, charges of counterfeiting and ended up in a sake cellar in Akaoka. He painted a series of grin and haunting byobu-e (screen painting) 23 of which still remain in the small town and are brought out each year in a somewhat macabre festival in his honor...they are displayed along the road in show windows to be viewed at night by candlelight. Ekin uses reds as his underlying colors and the images appear unsettling at first glance because of the alarming hue of the background. The actually savagery is subtle. Very compelling. Text is in Japanese but the book is primarily illustrations.
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Hiroshi Hirata's Mononofu - Amazing Samurai Illustrations
click for sample pages....
Size: 8.5" x 11" - Pages: 112 - Published: 2003 - Price: $58 - Binding: Softcover
This is the coolest book I've found in a while! It is called Mononofu by Hiroshi Hirata and includes over 100 pages of awesome Japanese warriors - samurai, ronin etc. This book has both black and while and color imagery, most of it is full page and includes depictions of battle scenes, lone warriors, seppuku and men astride horses - TONS of different poses and costumes perfect for tattoo reference. This book rocks. It is softcover, well bound, appx. 8" x 11.5" and 112 pages. Includes a forward in both English and Japanese and text is offered in both languages - what little of it there is. He does include the names of the warriors in English on many of the prints - which is really helpful. Great for artists, collectors of Japanese art or Suikoden enthusiasts. 1000's of great ideas for tradition Japanese-esque tattoos.
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All images and text copyright Gomineko 2006-2010. Violators who lift any of my content will be shot. |
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