Kantei

NH-0629 Rank 14

Mitokoromono · Gotō Shinjō

後藤真乗 (Gotō Shinjō)

Set of kozuka, kōgai and a pair of menuki depicting autumn field flowers, by Gotō Shinjō, with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper and an old origami from the Gotō house.

Mitokoromono (menuki, kozuka and kōgai)Late Edo (1781–1868)Late Edo period (before 1839)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Mitokoromono on the theme 秋野図 (Akino-zu), the flowers and grasses of the autumn fields, attributed by the paper to Gotō Shinjō, a master of the main line of the Gotō school. The kozuka and kōgai are of shakudō with a fine, even nanako ground, the design worked in takabori with gold iroe: chrysanthemums, bellflowers, clover and ears of grain among shakudō grasses. The frames and backs are gilt. The pair of menuki, in shakudō and gold, is carved in katachibori on the same theme. The back of the kozuka and kōgai bears the gold inscription 真乗作 光晃 花押 (Shinjō saku Mitsuaki kaō), the attestation by which Gotō Mitsuaki recognised the work as Shinjō's; the menuki are unsigned. The set comes with an origami from the Gotō house itself, signed 後藤四郎兵衛光晃 (Gotō Shirōbei Mitsuaki) and dated 天保拾年 (Tenpō jūnen), that is 1839, and with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 2011274 of April 2025, which lists that origami as an accompanying document. The photographs show the pieces in very good condition, with the black shakudō patina and the gilding intact; only minimal rubbing is visible on the edges of the menuki. The set is kept in a kiri box with an inscription on the lid.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, visible in the photographs
  • Gotō house origami of 1839 signed by Gotō Mitsuaki
  • Complete set attributed to a single master: kozuka, kōgai and a pair of menuki
  • Fine, even nanako, takabori with gold iroe
  • Original patina and gilding in very good condition

Points to bear in mind

  • The inscription on the kozuka and kōgai is an attestation by Gotō Mitsuaki in Shinjō's name, not a signature in Shinjō's own hand.
  • The menuki are unsigned; the paper attributes them to Shinjō.
  • Minimal rubbing on the edges of the menuki.

Score breakdown

70.6/100

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 25 of 25 Genuine signature of a first-rank master, confirmed by the paper
  2. Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable 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 3 of 5 Adds: complete set by the same maker
  7. Price 4.6 of 10 Rank 8 of 14 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest