NH-0480 Rank 4
Fuchi-kashira · Iwamoto Konkan
岩本昆寛 (Iwamoto Konkan)
Shakudō nanako fuchi-kashira with thrushes perched on the handle of a hoe, signed by Iwamoto Konkan and designated Jūyō Tōsōgu by the NBTHK.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Fuchi-kashira signed 岩本昆寛 (Iwamoto Konkan) with kaō, the signature chiselled on the plate of the fuchi and legible in the photographs. According to the paper, Iwamoto Konkan, born in 1744, was the sixth head of the Iwamoto house, a branch of the Yokoya line, and completed his style by studying the carving of the Nara school. The theme, 鍬に鶫図 (kuwa ni tsugumi zu), shows a flock of thrushes resting on the handle of a hoe among autumn grasses and ears: several on the fuchi and three on the kashira, each with its own attitude. Shakudō ground with very fine, even nanako; birds in takabori with iroe in gold, silver and shibuichi, gold feet and a silver hoe blade. The photographs show very good condition: crisp nanako, reliefs without noticeable wear and an even patina, with only slight marks on the fuchi plate and inside. The NBTHK paper, 重要刀装具 (Jūyō Tōsōgu), from the 48th session and dated 11 October 2002, accepts the signature and places the work in the mid-Edo period. The original seller presents it in a paulownia box.
Strong points
- Signed 岩本昆寛 (Iwamoto Konkan) with kaō, signature accepted by the paper
- NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu paper, 48th session (2002)
- Very fine, even shakudō nanako on both pieces
- Thrushes in takabori with gold, silver and shibuichi iroe, each in a different pose
- Crisp reliefs without noticeable wear
Points to bear in mind
- Slight marks and rubbing on the fuchi plate and inside both pieces, visible in the photographs
- The photographs show no hakogaki on the box
Score breakdown
74.4/100
The score shares out 100 points: Maker 25 · Workmanship 20 · Condition 18 · Period 12 · Paper 10 · Extras 5 · Price 10. It is computed from the record, not from an opinion. Maker, workmanship, condition and period are judged from the photographs and the paper; price is compared only with fittings of the same type.
- Maker 25 of 25 Genuine signature of a first-rank master, confirmed by the paper
- Workmanship 20 of 20 Exceptional work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 7 of 12 Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
- Paper 8 of 10 NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 0.4 of 10 Rank 26 of 27 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest