Kantei

NH-0626 Rank 134

Fuchi-kashira · Toshiyuki

敏行 (Toshiyuki)

Polished-iron fuchi-kashira showing an emperor and a hermit in takabori with gold and coloured inlay, bearing a gold seal read as Toshiyuki, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.

Fuchi-kashiraLate Edo (1781–1868)Late Edo period (19th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Fuchi-kashira with the subject 皇帝隠士図 (kōtei inshi zu), an emperor and a hermit, according to the papers. The kashira shows the face of the hermit, hair tied up, holding a scroll among clouds; its sides carry clouds outlined in gold. On the fuchi, the emperor in a gilt headdress holds a fan with a dotted ground, with gold blossoms at his feet. The papers describe the work as 鉄磨地 (tetsu migaki-ji), a polished iron ground, 高彫 (takabori) and 象嵌色絵 (zōgan iroe): high relief with inlays and touches of colour. The plate of the fuchi carries a gold seal, 金印 (kin'in), which the papers read as 敏行 (Toshiyuki), without naming a school. The photographs show both parts from the front, the sides and the back: the gold inlays are complete and the iron keeps a dark patina, with some reddish-brown areas on the kashira. It comes with NBTHK 特別保存刀装具 (Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu) papers, no. 2006084, dated 26 November 2019. The original seller places it in the Edo period and supplies it in a paulownia (kiri) box.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers (2019)
  • Gold seal 金印 (kin'in) read by the papers as 敏行 (Toshiyuki)
  • Figurative subject in takabori with zōgan and iroe on polished iron
  • Gold inlays complete
  • Paulownia (kiri) box

Points to bear in mind

  • The signature is a seal, 印銘 (inmei), and the papers give neither school nor generation of the maker
  • Reddish-brown areas on the iron surface of the kashira that deserve a closer look
  • The late Edo dating is inferred from style; the papers give no period

Score breakdown

59.3/100

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 7.3 of 10 Rank 8 of 27 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest