Samurai Heraldry (Elite Book 82)

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. Cover; Title; Contents; The Functions of Heraldry; The Use of the Mon; Early Heraldry; 14th-15th Century Heraldry; 15th-16th Century Heraldry: The Rise of the Daimyo; 'Great' and 'Lesser' Standards; The Standard Bearer in Battle; Religious Symbolism in Heraldry; Heraldry and the Tokugawa Shoguns; The Plates; Related Titles; Imprint Britain's leading historian of Samurai warfare describes, explains and illustrates the strikingly colourful heraldry of the great warring families and their feudal armies in medieval Japan. Illustrated with many identified examples. THROUGH THE ART AND SCIENCE of heraldry the armies of different ages and different regions around the world have been able to distinguish friend from foe in the confusion of battle.