Kantei

NH-0550 Rank 26

Futatokoro · Gotō Ichijō

後藤一乗 (Gotō Ichijō)

Matched shakudō kozuka and kōgai with pine and bamboo, signed by Gotō Ichijō in his old age, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu papers.

Futatokoro (kozuka and kōgai)Late Edo (1781–1868)Late Edo period (19th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Futatokoro made up of a matched kozuka and kōgai on the theme 松竹図 (shōchiku-zu, pine and bamboo). The NBTHK paper records the signatures 喜寿翁一乗 (Kijuō Ichijō) on the kozuka and 後藤法眼 (Gotō Hōgen) on the kōgai. Kijuō, "the venerable seventy-seven-year-old", is the signature used in old age by Gotō Ichijō, one of the great Gotō masters of the late Edo period. According to the paper, the metal is shakudō with an arashiji ground (荒し地, arashiji) and the carving is kō-suki kebori (甲鋤毛彫, kō-suki kebori): the photographs show pine branches and bamboo canes in recessed relief with fine engraved lines on a rough black ground, and a waka poem in cursive calligraphy on the reverses. The head of the kōgai and the end of the kozuka are finished in gold. The patina appears black and even, with no visible rust or knocks. Kept in a kiri box. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 2003313, issued in 2016.

Strong points

  • Late-life signatures of Gotō Ichijō accepted by the paper
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper
  • Shakudō arashiji with sukibori and kebori pine and bamboo
  • Waka poem engraved on the reverses
  • Matched set kept in a kiri box

Points to bear in mind

  • Only two photographs, and those of the pieces are small; the signatures cannot be read in them and are taken from the paper
  • The kōgai is signed with the title 後藤法眼 (Gotō Hōgen) rather than the personal name
  • The kiri box shows no expert inscription

Score breakdown

68.7/100

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 25 of 25 Genuine signature of a first-rank master, confirmed by the paper
  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 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 5.7 of 10 Rank 4 of 8 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest