Kantei

NH-0585 Rank 78

Kozuka · Gotō Jōshin

後藤乗真 (Gotō Jōshin)

Shakudō kozuka with a nanako ground and a citrus branch in gilt takabori, attributed by its NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper to Gotō Jōshin, third master of the main Gotō line.

KozukaMuromachi or earlier (before 1573)Muromachi period (16th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

An unsigned kozuka that its NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper attributes to Jōshin, third generation of the main Gotō line, the workshop that set the canon of formal sword fittings for centuries. According to the original seller, Jōshin was both a metal artist and a warrior, serving the shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiharu and Yoshiteru. The paper titles the piece 柑橘図小柄 (kankitsu-zu kozuka), "kozuka with citrus fruit". The photographs show a branch laden with five fruits among leaves in high relief (takabori), set on a shakudō plate with a fine, even nanako ground; fruits, veins and stems are wrapped in gold, the technique the paper calls fukuro-kise iroe. The reverse is a plain shakudō plate. The patina is deep and even, the gold is well preserved with slight rubbing on the high points, and the reverse shows fine handling scratches, with no visible dents or cracks. Dimensions stated by the original seller: 1.3 × 9.7 cm. Paper no. 2006830, dated 25 August Reiwa 2 (2020).

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper attributing it to Gotō Jōshin
  • Early work of the main Gotō line, Muromachi period
  • Shakudō with fine nanako and gold-wrapped takabori
  • Deep original patina and well-preserved gold

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: the authorship is an attribution by the paper
  • Fine handling scratches on the reverse
  • No photographs of the edges

Score breakdown

62.8/100

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 15 of 25 Unsigned, attributed by the paper to a master
  2. Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
  3. Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
  4. Period 12 of 12 Muromachi or earlier (before 1573)
  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 2.8 of 10 Rank 43 of 59 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest