Kantei

NH-0693 Rank 354

Menuki · Kyō-kinkō

Pair of shakudō menuki with three crabs carved in the round and gilt eyes, unsigned and attributed by the NBTHK to the Kyō-kinkō school, with Tokubetsu Hozon papers.

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

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Unsigned pair of menuki, attributed by the NBTHK paper to the metalworkers of Kyoto, 京金工 (Kyō-kinkō). Each piece shows three crabs in a row, the subject the paper calls 三匹蟹図 (sanbiki kani-zu), carved in the round in black-patinated shakudō, with eyes of gilt metal; the paper describes it as 赤銅地 容彫 色絵 (shakudō-ji katachibori iroe). The photographs show carapaces with a stippled texture, finely ribbed legs and openwork between them; from the edge, the bulging eyes with their golden pupils are clearly visible. The back is hollow, with copper mounting posts soldered at the centre. The patina on the front is complete and even, with slight rubbing on the high points and no visible dents or breaks; the backs show brownish tones and traces of solder from the mounting. The seller of origin gives widths of 5.27 cm and 5.15 cm and mentions a kiri wood box. Paper: NBTHK 特別保存刀装具 (Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu), no. 2010936, dated 26 September 2024.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2024)
  • Original subject of three crabs carved in the round
  • Black-patinated shakudō with gilt iroe eyes
  • Fine detail on the carapaces and pierced legs

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: the paper attributes it only to the Kyō-kinkō school, not to a named maker
  • The paper does not specify the date within the Edo period
  • Backs show brownish tones and traces of mounting solder

Score breakdown

46.8/100

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.

  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 4.8 of 10 Rank 12 of 22 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest