NH-0655 Rank 224
Menuki · Gotō Eijō
栄乗 (Gotō Eijō)
A pair of round solid-gold menuki with the paulownia crest on a nanako ground, attributed by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper to Eijō, sixth master of the main Gotō line.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
A pair of round menuki, about 1.9 cm in diameter according to the original seller, worked in solid gold. Each piece shows the paulownia crest (go-san no kiri) in high relief within a raised circular frame, set on a fine and even nanako ground; the leaf veins are line-engraved and the flower clusters are firmly modelled with real volume. The heraldic motif is a classic of the Gotō family repertoire, which worked for the warrior class and the court. The pieces are unsigned: the NBTHK paper, Tokubetsu Hozon grade and dated 1 April 2025, describes them as 金無垢魚子地 (kin-muku nanako-ji), carved in 容彫 (katachibori), and attributes them to 無銘 栄乗 (mumei Eijō), sixth head of the main Gotō line, active from the late Momoyama into the early Edo period. According to the original seller, the pair first received Hozon and was later promoted to Tokubetsu Hozon. The photographs show the gold without losses and the relief crisply defined, with fine wear scratches on the rims and some spots of dirt on the ground. It comes with a wooden box lined with fabric.
Strong points
- Solid gold (kin-muku) with a fine, even nanako ground
- Paper attribution to Eijō, sixth master of the main Gotō line
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper issued in 2025
- Crisp, well-preserved relief of the paulownia crest
- Complete, matching pair
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: the authorship is an attribution by the paper, not a signature
- Fine wear scratches and a few small nicks on the rims
- Occasional dirt spots on the nanako ground and dark residue on the reverse
Score breakdown
54.9/100
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 15 of 25 Unsigned, attributed by the paper to a master
- Workmanship 10 of 20 Good work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 9 of 12 Early Edo (1615–1688)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 2.9 of 10 Rank 16 of 22 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest