Kantei

NH-0683 Rank 44

Mitokoromono · Sano Masayoshi

佐野政好 (Sano Masayoshi)

Set of kozuka, kōgai and a pair of menuki on the theme of the flowering plum, in shakudō and gold. Kozuka and kōgai signed; NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper.

Mitokoromono (menuki, kozuka and kōgai)Late Edo (1781–1868)Edo period, probably late (19th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Mitokoromono (three-piece set) on the theme of the flowering plum tree, 梅樹図 (baiju-zu). The kozuka and the kōgai are signed on the reverse 佐野政好 (Sano Masayoshi) followed by his kaō; the pair of menuki is unsigned and the paper attributes it to the same maker. The kozuka and kōgai have a shakudō ground of very fine nanako, from which a gnarled plum trunk rises in shakudō takabori, with blossoms and buds in gold iroe; both are framed by gold fukurin, and the gilt finial of the kōgai carries a cloud motif. The menuki, carved in the round (katachibori) in shakudō with gold blossoms, repeat the same trunk in two matching compositions. The photographs show a deep shakudō patina, black with bluish reflections, the gold intact on the reliefs and only fine handling scratches on the polished reverses. The NBTHK paper, Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu no. 2010237, dated 10 October 2023, records the signature on the kozuka and kōgai and the attribution of the menuki. According to the original seller, the set is kept in a paulownia wood box.

Strong points

  • Kozuka and kōgai signed Sano Masayoshi with kaō, signature accepted by the paper
  • Complete three-piece set on a single theme, attributed in full to the same maker
  • Shakudō nanako with takabori, gold iroe and gold fukurin
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper issued in 2023
  • Deep original patina and intact gold

Points to bear in mind

  • The menuki are unsigned: they are an attribution by the paper
  • The paper does not date the set; a late Edo date is an estimate
  • Fine handling scratches on the polished reverses of the kozuka and kōgai
  • The box carries no expert inscription

Score breakdown

65.4/100

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.

  1. Maker 19 of 25 Genuine signature of a known maker or school
  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 5.4 of 10 Rank 7 of 14 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest