Kantei

NH-0606 Rank 236

Kōgai · Ko-Gotō

Unsigned shakudō nanako kōgai with auspicious clouds in takabori and a gold hi-jōgi, attributed to Ko-Gotō by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

KōgaiMuromachi or earlier (before 1573)Late Muromachi – Momoyama period (16th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

An unsigned kōgai attributed by its NBTHK paper to Ko-Gotō (古後藤, Ko-Gotō), the name given to early works of the Gotō house, from Yūjō to Tokujō, that cannot be assigned to an individual master. According to the paper the subject is 瑞雲樋定規図 (zuiun hi-jōgi-zu): auspicious clouds and a workshop ruler used to lay out grooves. The photographs show a shakudō panel with a fine, even nanako ground, scrolling clouds carved in takabori with good volume at both ends and, in the centre, a gold bar applied in kin iroe. The reverse is plain shakudō. The patina is a deep black, the gold is intact, and only fine handling marks are visible on the reverse and the narrow section. It comes with an NBTHK kanteisho, 特別保存刀装具 (tokubetsu hozon tōsōgu), no. 227653, dated 21 April 2006, which describes the piece as 赤銅魚子地 高彫 金色絵 (shakudō nanako-ji takabori kin iroe). It is presented in an uninscribed wooden box.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper visible in the photographs
  • Attribution to Ko-Gotō, the early production of the Gotō house
  • Shakudō with fine nanako and clouds in takabori
  • Central gold hi-jōgi, an uncommon motif

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: the attribution is to a group, not to a specific master
  • The paper gives no date; the period derives from the attribution and the original seller
  • Fine handling marks on the reverse; no photographs of the edge

Score breakdown

54/100

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 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 5 of 10 Rank 5 of 9 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest