Kantei

NH-0621 Rank 205

Pair of kozuka · Hayata Hidefusa

早田英房 (Hayata Hidefusa)

A pair of kozuka signed by Hayata Hidefusa of Hirado: a stag on shakudō and a boar on suaka copper, in high relief with gold accents. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

KozukaLate Edo (1781–1868)Late Edo period (first half of the 19th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A pair of kozuka by Hayata Hidefusa, a metalworker from Hirado and a leading figure of the Hayata school. The first, in shakudō with an ishime ground, bears a stag in copper takabori with antlers and small flowers in gold (zōgan and iroe); the reverse is signed with his retirement name, "Hirado, at sixty years of age, Hayata Chūsei". The second, in suaka copper with an ishime ground, shows a running boar in high relief among branches with gilt blossoms, and is signed Hayata Hidefusa on the reverse. According to the original seller, Hidefusa was born in 1785, studied under Ōmori Hidemasa and also mastered the casting technique; he retired in 1844 and took the name Chūsei. The photographs show both pieces from the front, edge and reverse, with legible signatures, a dark, even patina on the shakudō and a warm one on the copper, with no visible knocks. They come in a kiri wood box. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, issued in 2022, certifies the set as a pair of kozuka and records both signatures.

Strong points

  • Both pieces signed, with the signatures recorded by the paper
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper (2022)
  • Stag in takabori on ishime shakudō with gold details
  • Boar in high relief on suaka copper with gilt blossoms
  • Kiri wood box

Points to bear in mind

  • Small composite photographs: condition can only be judged at low resolution
  • The close-up of the shakudō reverse shows lighter greyish areas
  • The dating relies on the biography given by the original seller, not on a date on the piece
  • This is a pair of kozuka, not a futatokoro with a kōgai

Score breakdown

56/100

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 4 of 10 Rank 36 of 59 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest