B985.  Kunihiro Taikan by Dr. Homma and the NBTHK.  1954.  Clothbound with dust jacket and slipcase, 10 1/2 x 14 1/2″, about 40 pages, mostly text with a few oshigata, at the front, followed by 106 pages of plates printed one side: this would be about a 250 page book in Japanese.  Horikawa Kunihiro was the founder of the Shinto (New Sword) tradition and the teacher of many highly important smiths.  This book was among the earliest, if not the earliest, of the great taikans and it is incredibly difficult to find (this is my 3rd copy ever and the 1st with a dust jacket).  A few oshigata but mostly crisp black & white photos of the works of Kunihiro and his students, and at the back a fold out (timeline I believe): this is a special book.

The dust jacket is torn and taped; everything else is in excellent condition.  This is the cleanest copy of this title I’ve ever seen.  4 pounds, 13 ounces.  Was $1,250; now $850.

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