Kantei

NH-0524 Rank 61

Mitokoromono · Tobari Tomihisa

戸張富久 (Tobari Tomihisa)

Set of kozuka, kōgai and a pair of menuki with sacred beasts in gold on shakudō nanako, by Tobari Tomihisa, a pupil of the Gotō house, designated Jūyō Tōsōgu by the NBTHK.

Mitokoromono (menuki, kozuka and kōgai)Late Edo (1781–1868)Late Edo periodNBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A complete mitokoromono by Tobari Tomihisa, a pupil of the thirteenth Gotō master, Mitsutaka, who after training in the main workshop set up on his own and taught pupils of his own. The kozuka and kōgai have shakudō grounds with very even nanako and carry sacred beasts (reijū) in high relief gold; the back plates are also gold with a brushed finish, and both pieces are signed on the reverse with the maker's name and kaō, as the photographs show. The unsigned pair of menuki is carved in the round from solid gold with the same creatures. The set faithfully follows the official iebori style of the Gotō, with the figures placed at varied angles that give them movement. According to the original seller, one of the creatures accompanying the hakutaku is a hii from the Shanhaijing, a very rare subject on sword fittings. The NBTHK paper designates the set Jūyō Tōsōgu (70th session, 6 November 2024), dates it to the late Edo period and gives the measurements: kozuka 9.55 cm and kōgai 21.3 cm. The photographs show the gold and nanako in good condition, with fine wear scratches on the back plates.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu designation, 70th session (2024)
  • Kozuka and kōgai signed with kaō; menuki attributed to the same maker by the paper
  • Shakudō nanako with sacred beasts in high relief gold and gold back plates
  • Solid gold menuki carved in the round
  • Complete three-piece set by a single maker, faithful to the Gotō style

Points to bear in mind

  • The menuki are unsigned; their attribution rests on the paper
  • Fine wear scratches on the gold back plates of the kozuka and kōgai
  • The reverse of the menuki is only visible on the paper's plate, not in a dedicated photograph
  • The identification of the hii comes from the original seller, not from the paper

Score breakdown

64/100

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 19 of 25 Genuine signature of a known maker or school
  2. Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
  3. Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
  4. Period 5 of 12 Late Edo (1781–1868)
  5. Paper 8 of 10 NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu
  6. Extras 3 of 5 Adds: complete set by the same maker
  7. Price 0 of 10 Rank 14 of 14 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest