Hi Luke,
Please find the text from:
J. D. Vertrees,
Japanese Maples, Timber Press, Portland Oregon, U.S.A., 1997.
--- Text starts, pages 137, 138 ---
The compact, stubby growth of this cultivar makes it very popular for small landscape planting, container growing, and bonsai. The outstanding feature is the close-packed arrangement of the leaves on the twigs and the close arrangement of the twigs on the branches, giving the compact and "stubby" character of this cultivar. The twigs are thick and short.
The bright green foliage is quite crinkled, which adds to the effect. The leaf is from 3 to 5 cm wide and about as long. Petioles are short and stiff, from 1 1/2 to 3 cm long. Each leave is seven-lobed, with the two base lobes much smaller. The lobes divide almost to the center of the petiole attachment. Each lobe is elongate-ovate, tapering to a sharp point. The sides are curled upward, occasionally convoluted, and in most cases forming a v-shaped trough. In addition, most leaves are further crinkled along the edges of the lobes, and the margins are also strong but irregularly incised. Most of the crinkled leaves display the veins promininently, providing an almost rugose-appearing surface. However, some leaves do retain a smooth appearance.
The deep green foliage is of heavy substance, firm to the touch. Color is maintained very well during the Summer season even in hot sun. There is very little sunburn of vigorous plants.
The Fall colouration is a striking combination of gold, suffused with rose and crimson tones. The entire plant takes on a different appearance during the seasonal change, making it quite prominent.
Usually a slow growing form, "Shishigashira" can exceed 3 meters with age. I have seen old plants, 3 meters tall, on which shoot had made strong growth for one season, thus adding considerable height. The plants then returned to the normal short, multi-branches habit.
Size of the plant can be easily controlled by the amount of fertility available. It shold always have enough nutrients to keep the good green tones in the foliage. However, the plant will stay quite short and dense if not over fertilised. In a very fertile location the tree can reach large size in a few years. To emphasise the character of the plant, training and pruning will accentuate the shrubby tufts of growth on the branches for a more outstanding effect.
This unique cultivar always attracts attention. It has been in cultivation for over 100 years and is popular around the world. Japanese literature lists it before 1880 and indicates its wide use both in landscape and bonsai culture.
There are two forms of "Shishigashira" in Japanese horticulture - "Mejishi" and "Ojishi" (O with a stright line on top -- dv_n note.) Please refer to these.
--- Text ends, pages 137, 138 ---
There is a striking "Shishigashira" by Mr. William N. Valavanis --
http://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t7377 ... elp-needed 
Anyway this one is from an air-layer off of my friends tree. It is a Lions Head Japanese Maple, or Acer palmatum "shishigashira" to be technical.
