Samurai Heraldry

by Stephen Turnbull, Angus McBride (Illustrator)

Overview

The dazzling spectacle presented by the armies of medieval Japan owed much to the highly developed family and personal heraldry of samurai society. From simple personal banners, this evolved over centuries of warfare into a complex system of flags worn or carried into battle, together with the striking 'great standards' of leading warlords. While not regulated in the Western sense, Japanese heraldry developed as a series of widely followed practices, while remaining flexible enough to embrace constant innovation. Scores of examples, in monochrome and full colour, illustrate this fascinating explanation of the subject by a respected expert on all aspects of samurai culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781782000143
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	06/20/2012
Series:	Elite , #82
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Stephen Turnbull is a leading English language authority on medieval Japan and the samurai. He has travelled extensively in the Far East, particularly in Japan and Korea, and is the author of a number of major books on the subject. He has contributed several titles to the Osprey Military list since his original Men-at-Arms 86, Samurai Armies 1550-1615, in 1979.

Angus McBride, one of the world's most respected historical illustrators, has contributed to more than 70 Osprey titles. He worked in advertising agencies from 1947, and is a self-taught artist. In 1953 Angus emigrated to South Africa. He came back to the UK in 1961, and has worked freelance ever since. With his family he returned to South Africa in 1976, since when he has lived and worked in Cape Town.
Stephen Turnbull is widely recognised as the world's leading English language authority on the samurai of Japan. He took his first degree at Cambridge and has two MAs (in Theology and Military History) and a PhD from Leeds University. He is now retired and pursues an active literary career, having now published 85 books. His expertise has helped with numerous projects including films, television and the award-winning strategy game Shogun Total War.

Table of Contents

Appearance of mon as early as Nara period · 12th C Taira & Minamoto wars, hata-jirushi · 13th/14th Cs: the Mongol invasions period, 15th/16th Cs: heraldry carried on shields, nobori banners, sashimono flags attached to armour, maku screens · Army organisation produces system of coloured unit flags/symbols · Buddhist & Christian symbolism · Uma-jirushi commanders' flags · Tsukai-ban messenger corps: the horo displayed cloak · 17th C: the fully developed system of the early Edo period.