NH-0677 Rank 363
Menuki · Yokoya school
A pair of solid gold menuki depicting shishi with peonies, unsigned, attributed by the NBTHK to the Yokoya school with Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
An unsigned pair of menuki attributed by the NBTHK paper to the Yokoya school, 横谷派 (Yokoya-ha), the Edo workshop that pioneered the free machibori carving style as opposed to the official Gotō manner. The subject is 牡丹喰獅子図 (botan-kui shishi-zu), the guardian lion biting a peony branch: one shishi strides forward with its head turned back, the other rolls belly-up, both with curling manes and tails. According to the paper they are made of solid gold, 金無垢地 (kin muku-ji), and carved in the round, 容彫 (katachibori); the photographs show high relief, hair rendered with fine kebori and trefoil-shaped markings engraved on the bodies. The hollow reverses retain their soldered supports. Condition is good: the gold is intact with slight rubbing on the high points and a few small dark specks, with no visible dents or losses. Widths stated by the original seller: 3.04 cm and 3.21 cm; they come in a paulownia box. NBTHK paper 特別保存刀装具 (tokubetsu hozon tōsōgu), no. 2007331, issued in 2021.
Strong points
- Solid gold (kin muku-ji), according to the paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper attributing them to the Yokoya school
- Classic theme of shishi with peonies, carved in the round (katachibori)
- Fine kebori on manes and tails
- Both pieces complete, with a good surface
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: the paper attributes them to the school, not to a named maker
- Neither the paper nor the listing narrows the date within the Edo period
- Small dark specks and slight rubbing on the high points
Score breakdown
44.4/100
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 2.4 of 10 Rank 17 of 22 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest