Kantei

NH-0487 Rank 67

Kōgai · Gotō Kenjō (attributed)

後藤顕乗 (Gotō Kenjō)

Shakudō kōgai with a nanako ground and a moored boat laden with firewood in takabori with gold accents, attributed to Gotō Kenjō by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

KōgaiEarly Edo (1615–1688)Early Edo period (17th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

An unsigned kōgai attributed by the NBTHK paper to Gotō Kenjō (1586-1663), one of the masters of the Gotō line, the school that for centuries set the official taste in sword fittings for the samurai class. The central panel shows a moored boat laden with bundles of firewood, floating on finely engraved waves; a gold rope ties it to a mooring post. The piece is made of shakudō with a fine, even nanako ground, the boat and waves in takabori, and the firewood bindings and rope in gold iroe; the paper mentions gold and silver iroe. The head carries two small scrolls beside the mimi-kaki, and the reverse is plain. The photographs show an even black patina with natural highlights on the raised areas, intact gold and only light handling marks on the reverse. It comes with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu kanteisho dated 28 February 2000 and an uninscribed wooden box. The original seller gives a weight of 33.5 g.

Strong points

  • Attributed to Gotō Kenjō by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper
  • Shakudō with a fine, even nanako ground
  • Firewood-laden boat in takabori with gold iroe
  • Even patina and intact gold

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: the authorship is an attribution by the paper, not a signature
  • Light handling marks on the plain reverse and a tiny speck near the point

Score breakdown

63.3/100

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.

  1. Maker 15 of 25 Unsigned, attributed by the paper to a master
  2. Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
  3. Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
  4. Period 9 of 12 Early Edo (1615–1688)
  5. Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
  6. Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
  7. Price 6.3 of 10 Rank 4 of 9 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest