B486.  Sosoki no Nihonto, An Early Style of a Japanese Sword: A Search for the Origin of the Curve by the Sano Museum.  2003.  Softbound, 8 ¾ x 11 ¾”, 139 pages in Japanese with an English list of plates.  Crisp black & white photos and well done oshigata of swords from very early to not quite so early (Kofun to Kamakura) trace the development of the curve of the Japanese sword.  And the blades are spectacular.  This title is included in the Index of Japanese Sword Literature on the JSS/US website.

A front corner has been bumped and a former owner’s stamp is inside; otherwise condition is excellent.  1 pound, 11 ounces.  Now $50.