Kantei

NH-0565 Rank 186

Kozuka · Harukatsu

春勝 (Harukatsu)

Polished shibuichi kozuka depicting Kanshin (Han Xin) and the deity Kyūten Gennyo in sukidashi takabori with gold and silver, signed 春勝刀 (Harukatsu tō), with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu papers.

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

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Kozuka signed on the tojiri (the end) 春勝刀 (Harukatsu tō), the work of Harukatsu, a metalworker whom the original seller links to the Kuri family of Hagi in Nagato province, late Edo period. The NBTHK paper titles the subject 韓信九天玄女図 (Kanshin Kyūten Gennyo zu): the Chinese general Han Xin, fierce-faced and wearing an ornate helmet, beside the celestial deity Kyūten Gennyo holding a scroll, both wrapped in billowing drapery and ribbons; weapons inlaid in silver appear at the end. The ground is polished shibuichi and the figures are carved in sukidashi takabori, with zōgan and iroe in gold, silver and a blue-black metal, probably shakudō, for the hair. The photographs show finely modelled faces and an even, unrestored patina; the reverse is a plain dark plate with some spots and fine marks, and a small nick is visible on the edge of the side. Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 2010602, dated 26 March 2024, describes the piece as 四分一磨地 (shibuichi migakiji), 鋤出高彫 (sukidashi takabori) and 象嵌色絵 (zōgan iroe) and records the signature on the end. It comes in a wooden box with a fabric-lined interior.

Strong points

  • Signed on the end 春勝刀 (Harukatsu tō), accepted by the paper
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, 2024
  • Faces of Kanshin and Kyūten Gennyo finely modelled in sukidashi takabori
  • Gold and silver inlays on a polished shibuichi ground

Points to bear in mind

  • The signature is only visible in the image on the paper; no photograph of the piece shows the signed end.
  • Small nick on the edge and fine marks on the plain ground and on the reverse.
  • The dating and the link to the Kuri family of Hagi come from the original seller, not from the paper.

Score breakdown

57.2/100

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 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 5.2 of 10 Rank 29 of 59 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest