Kantei

NH-0557 Rank 277

Kozuka · Kaga kinkō school

Shakudō nanako kozuka with bamboo shoots in takabori, gold and coloured inlays, unsigned and attributed by its NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper to the Kaga kinkō school.

KozukaLate Edo (1781–1868)Edo period, probably late (18th–19th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Unsigned kozuka, 無銘 (mumei), attributed by its NBTHK paper to the 加賀金工 (Kaga kinkō) school, the metalworkers serving the Maeda lords of Kaga. The subject, 筍図 (takenoko-zu), is bamboo shoots: a large one running almost the full length of the plate, its sheaths finely engraved and scattered with coppery spots, tipped in gold, and a small gilt shoot linked by a cord of gold wire. The paper describes the technique as 赤銅魚子地 高彫 象嵌色絵 (shakudō nanako-ji takabori zōgan iroe): a shakudō ground of nanako granules, high-relief carving and coloured inlays, as the photographs confirm. The reverse is plain shakudō. According to the original seller it measures 9.63 × 1.39 cm and comes in a paulownia box. The photographs show a black patina of good colour, intact gilding and crisp nanako, with fine wear scratches on the reverse and the seam of the face plate slightly open near one end. NBTHK 特別保存刀装具 (tokubetsu hozon tōsōgu) paper no. 2011821, dated 18 December 2025.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2025)
  • Fine, even shakudō nanako ground
  • Bamboo shoots in takabori with gold and copper inlays
  • Well-preserved patina and gilding
  • Paulownia box

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: a school attribution, not an individual maker
  • Face-plate seam slightly open near one end
  • The paper does not date it; the period is estimated from style

Score breakdown

51.5/100

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 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
  2. Workmanship 10 of 20 Good 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 9.5 of 10 Rank 4 of 59 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest