NH-0689 Rank 360
Kozuka · Waki-Gotō
Unsigned kozuka attributed to the Waki-Gotō school, with seven gold shishi in high relief on a shakudō nanako ground; NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
An unsigned kozuka — the handle of the small utility knife — attributed by its NBTHK paper to the Waki-Gotō school, the collateral branches of the great Gotō family of metalworkers. The subject is shichihiki shishi-zu (七疋獅子図, "seven guardian lions"): seven shishi set in a row, each in a different pose, their manes, curls and coat markings chiselled in gold high relief. The ground is shakudō with fine, even nanako, while the frame and the back show a brushed gilt finish, as seen in the photographs. The paper describes it as shakudō nanako-ji (赤銅魚子地) with kinmon (金紋), gold motifs. The photographs show good condition: the gold keeps its lustre, the nanako is intact and the shakudō patina is an even black; there is light wear on the high points and on the edge of the frame, and fine scratches on the back. The original seller gives dimensions of 9.75 × 1.46 cm and mentions a paulownia box. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu (特別保存刀装具) certificate no. 2010027, dated October 2023.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper attributing it to Waki-Gotō
- Seven gold shishi in high relief, each in a different pose
- Shakudō ground with fine, even nanako
- Gold and patina in good condition
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: a school attribution, not a named master
- Neither the paper nor the piece narrows the date within the Edo period
- Light wear on the gold high points and fine scratches on the back
Score breakdown
45.8/100
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 3.8 of 10 Rank 37 of 59 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest