NH-0537 Rank 275
Menuki · Ko-kinkō
Pair of menuki depicting bamboo shoots in silver carved in katachibori with mekki gilding, attributed to the Ko-kinkō school by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
A pair of menuki depicting bamboo shoots (takenoko): on each piece a long, curving gilt shoot rests on a shorter silver one, with overlapping leaf sheaths and raised tips. Unsigned, as is usual for this school. The NBTHK paper, 特別保存刀装具 (Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu), dated 19 December 2023, describes them as 筍図目貫 (takenoko-zu menuki), 無銘 (mumei), and attributes them to 古金工 (Ko-kinkō), early metalwork outside the Gotō line; it records the technique as 銀地 容彫 鍍金 (ginji katachibori mekki): a silver ground carved in the round and mercury-gilt. The photographs show lively modelling, with the veins of the sheaths cut in fine line engraving, and a hollow reverse with the dark patina of aged metal. The gilding survives in the recesses and has worn away on the high points of the gilt shoot, where the silver shows through, wear consistent with age. The seller of origin gives 7.44 cm and 7.6 g for the omote piece and 7.45 cm and 7.4 g for the ura. They come in a plain kiri wood box with no visible inscription.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper (2023) attributing the pair to Ko-kinkō
- Uncommon subject: bamboo shoots (takenoko) in two metals
- Silver carved in katachibori with mekki gilding
- Complete pair, omote and ura, with the reverse photographed
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: a school attribution, not a named maker
- Gilding worn on the high points of the gilt shoot
- The period is inferred from style; the paper does not state it
Score breakdown
51.6/100
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 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
- Workmanship 10 of 20 Good work
- Condition 9 of 18 Visible wear
- Period 11 of 12 Momoyama (1573–1615)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 8.6 of 10 Rank 4 of 22 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest