NH-0638 Rank 304
Menuki · Kaga kinkō
A pair of unsigned menuki in the form of a recumbent shishi, in solid gold with inlaid spots, attributed to the Kaga kinkō school by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
An unsigned pair of menuki depicting a shishi, the guardian lion, lying curled upon itself with its mane and tail in curls. They are worked in solid gold (kin-muku), carved in the round (katachibori) and scattered with inlaid black spots, which the original seller describes as shakudō. The photographs show fine line chiselling on the mane, tail and paws, and good modelling of the body. The Kaga kinkō school gathers the metalworkers of Kaga province trained under the guidance of the Gotō masters, and solid gold with inlays is characteristic of that circle. As for condition, the gold is intact, with light wear on the high points and a minimal loss in one of the spots; the hollow backs retain their fixing pegs. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, no. 2011725, dated 30 September 2025, identifies them as 獅子図目貫 (shishi-zu menuki), 無銘 (mumei), by 加賀金工 (Kaga kinkō), in 金無垢地 (kin-muku-ji), 容彫 (katachibori) and 象嵌 (zōgan). They come in a wooden box lined with purple silk.
Strong points
- Solid gold (kin-muku), according to the paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, no. 2011725
- Shishi carved in the round with finely chiselled mane
- Complete pair, with backs and fixing pegs
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: attributed only to the school, not to a maker
- The paper gives no period; the late Edo date is stated by the original seller
- Light wear to the gold on the high points and a minimal loss in one inlay
Score breakdown
50.1/100
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.
- Maker 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
- Workmanship 10 of 20 Good work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 5 of 12 Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 8.1 of 10 Rank 5 of 22 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest