Kantei

NH-0576 Rank 245

Kozuka · Hokuunsai Tōchi

北雲斎東知 (Hokuunsai Tōchi)

Shakudō nanako kozuka with a dragon among clouds in takabori and a gold eye, signed Hokuunsai Tōchi with kaō and certified Tokubetsu Hozon by the NBTHK.

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

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Kozuka signed 北雲斎東知 (Hokuunsai Tōchi) with kaō (personal monogram) and certified by the NBTHK as Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu. The front shows a dragon among clouds (unryū): the head, its eye inlaid in gold, emerges from swirling clouds while the scaled body and tail stretch across the plate amid small flames. The plate is shakudō with a fine, regular nanako ground, gently undulated to give depth to the sky; the carving is takabori and the surrounding frame is red copper (suaka). The back, in shibuichi, bears decorative diagonal file marks and the chiselled signature. The paper describes the piece as shakudō nanako-ji, takabori, zōgan iroe; it carries number 2011801 and is dated 2025. The photographs show a deep, even black patina, the nanako intact and only light handling wear on the copper edges and the back. The original seller places it in the late Edo period, gives 96.35 × 14.7 mm and 27.6 g, and declares a paulownia (kiri) box.

Strong points

  • Signed Hokuunsai Tōchi with kaō, signature accepted by the paper
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper
  • Dragon among clouds in takabori with gold-inlaid eye
  • Fine undulating nanako ground on shakudō, suaka frame
  • Deep original black patina, in good condition

Points to bear in mind

  • Tōchi is a little-documented maker, not one of the great masters
  • The period is given by the original seller; neither signature nor paper dates it
  • Light handling wear on the copper edges and the back
  • The declared kiri box does not appear in the photographs

Score breakdown

53.6/100

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.

  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 1.6 of 10 Rank 50 of 59 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest