Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Philip · 23rd June 2010, 09:47 PM

Mario, and all the gang...
If you want to see some Chinese arms from the former imperial court collection, at last we have an all-color book that's strictly devoted to the subject (not the usual art book with maybe one armor and two swords amidst a whole slew of paintings and armchairs):
ARMAMENTS AND MILITARY PROVISIONS: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION OF TREASURES OF THE PALACE MUSEUM VOL. 56, Hong Kong: Commercial Press 2008. Hardbound, lg format, 262 pp, with material grouped into themes: military parades, hunting, horsey stuff, armor, swords and sabers, archery, firearms and light artillery. A lot of the pieces were products of the Forbidden City's workshops or of artisans commissioned by the court. Even more interesting historically are foreign weapons captured in war, presented as tribute gifts, and purchased for military trials and issue during the late 19th cent. modernization drive.

Text in Chinese but picture captions have English with dimensions. Photography is excellent, except they goofed on some pics of the hunting guns so you end up with the impression that most of the Qing emperors were southpaw shooters like yours truly! Just remember that on a matchlock, the serpentine and priming pan are on the RIGHT side of the barrel and you be fine.

You might check Paragon Books in Chicago or Han-Shan Tang in the UK, they may have still have it in stock since it's a fairly new publication.

23rd June 2010, 09:47 PM	#24
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	Check this book out, there's pavlovian stuff in it Mario, and all the gang... If you want to see some Chinese arms from the former imperial court collection, at last we have an all-color book that's strictly devoted to the subject (not the usual art book with maybe one armor and two swords amidst a whole slew of paintings and armchairs): ARMAMENTS AND MILITARY PROVISIONS: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION OF TREASURES OF THE PALACE MUSEUM VOL. 56, Hong Kong: Commercial Press 2008. Hardbound, lg format, 262 pp, with material grouped into themes: military parades, hunting, horsey stuff, armor, swords and sabers, archery, firearms and light artillery. A lot of the pieces were products of the Forbidden City's workshops or of artisans commissioned by the court. Even more interesting historically are foreign weapons captured in war, presented as tribute gifts, and purchased for military trials and issue during the late 19th cent. modernization drive. Text in Chinese but picture captions have English with dimensions. Photography is excellent, except they goofed on some pics of the hunting guns so you end up with the impression that most of the Qing emperors were southpaw shooters like yours truly! Just remember that on a matchlock, the serpentine and priming pan are on the RIGHT side of the barrel and you be fine. You might check Paragon Books in Chicago or Han-Shan Tang in the UK, they may have still have it in stock since it's a fairly new publication.