Kantei

NH-0680 Rank 313

Wari-kōgai · Kyō-kinkō

An unsigned iron wari-kōgai in a shakudō sheath, decorated with orchids in relief and gold. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper attributes it to the Kyō-kinkō school.

KōgaiLate Edo (1781–1868)Edo period (1603–1868)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

An unsigned wari-kōgai, the type of kōgai that separates into two halves. The paper attributes it to the Kyoto metalworkers, 京金工 (Kyō-kinkō), and titles it 蘭図割笄 (Ran-zu wari-kōgai), "wari-kōgai with an orchid design". It has an iron core inside a polished shakudō sheath, 赤銅袋仕立磨地 (shakudō fukuro-jitate migaki-ji). On the front, sprays of orchid in 鋤出高彫 (sukidashi-takabori) relief, with fine stems and gold 色絵 (iroe) flowers and buds, fill the upper third. The reverse has an engraved graduated scale. The photographs also show the two iron halves out of the sheath. Condition is good: the shakudō patina is even and the gold is intact, with fine wear scratches on the reverse and a light surface oxidation tone on the inner iron. It comes with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, no. 2008842, from 2022, seen in the photographs.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper seen in the photographs
  • Wari-kōgai construction, with both iron halves shown
  • Orchids in sukidashi-takabori with gold iroe accents
  • Shakudō sheath with an even black patina

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: the paper attributes it only to a school, not to a maker
  • Light surface oxidation on the inner iron halves
  • The paper gives no date; the Edo period is the original seller's indication

Score breakdown

49.5/100

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 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
  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 7.5 of 10 Rank 3 of 9 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest