Kantei

NH-0559 Rank 2

Futatokoromono · Araki Tōmei

荒木東明 (Araki Tōmei)

Shakudō kozuka and kōgai with millet ears in high-relief gold, signed by Araki Tōmei and designated Jūyō Tōsōgu by the NBTHK.

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

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A two-piece set, kozuka and kōgai, with the motif of millet ears (awaho), signed on both reverses 吟松亭東明 (Ginshōtei Tōmei) with kaō. Araki Tōmei (1817–1870), born in Kyoto, trained under Gotō Tōjō and Gotō Ichijō; according to the paper he studied drawing with the painter Hayashi Ranga, with whom he is said to have devised the millet-ear carving that made him famous in his own lifetime. The photographs show a black shakudō ground of very fine grain, described by the paper as nanako, from which three millet ears on each piece rise with their stalks and leaves in takabori and gold zōgan with kin-iroe; the grains stand out one by one, crisp and in relief. The plain shakudō reverses bear the chiselled signature. In the photographs the condition is excellent: the ground keeps its texture, the gold shows no losses and no knocks are visible. The NBTHK designated the set Jūyō Tōsōgu at its 51st session, on 13 October 2005, and the paper dates it to the end of the Edo period. It comes with the maker's autograph envelope, bearing his signature and seal, which the paper lists as an accompanying item.

Strong points

  • Designated Jūyō Tōsōgu by the NBTHK (51st session, 2005)
  • Both pieces signed by Araki Tōmei, with kaō
  • Millet ears, the motif for which the maker is celebrated
  • Takabori and gold zōgan on a shakudō nanako ground
  • The maker's autograph envelope with signature and seal survives

Points to bear in mind

  • The reverses are only seen in scanned plates, not in colour photographs
  • In the photographs the nanako grain reads as fine lines; the technique is taken from the paper
  • The box shown is plain, without an expert's inscription

Score breakdown

79/100

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 20 of 20 Exceptional work
  3. Condition 18 of 18 Excellent 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 8 of 8 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest