Kantei

NH-0765 Rank 77

Kozuka · Gotō Mitsuyoshi

光美 (Gotō Mitsuyoshi)

Gotō kozuka in shakudō nanako with a flowering plum branch in takabori and silver iroe; inscription by Mitsuyoshi attributing the relief to Teijō. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

KozukaLate Edo (1781–1868)Late Edo period (18th–19th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Kozuka of the Gotō school with a single flowering plum branch as its motif. The ground is shakudō worked in very fine, regular nanako with a deep black patina; the branch is carved in takabori and the blossoms and buds are picked out in silver iroe. The frame and the back plate, gold in colour with a fine diagonal file finish, appear to be gold or gilt judging from the photographs. The back carries two engraved inscriptions: 紋程乗 (mon Teijō) and 光美 (Mitsuyoshi) with his 花押 (kaō). This is an attribution inscription typical of the Gotō main line: Mitsuyoshi certifies the relief (mon) as the work of Teijō, an earlier head of the family. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, no. 2010517, dated 26 March 2024, describes the piece as a kozuka with a plum branch in shakudō nanako-ji, takabori and iroe, and records the inscription without reservation. The photographs show good condition: crisp nanako, no noticeable wear to the relief and the silver of the blossoms intact; only a few pale specks are visible on the ground. It comes in a wooden box with an ink inscription, with no visible signature. The original seller gives a weight of 36.5 g.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2024), visible in the photographs
  • Gotō main-line inscription: relief attributed to Teijō, signature and kaō of Mitsuyoshi
  • Very fine, regular nanako ground in deep black shakudō
  • Plum branch in takabori with blossoms in silver iroe
  • Wooden box with ink inscription

Points to bear in mind

  • The inscription is an attribution by Mitsuyoshi: the relief is given to Teijō but does not bear his signature.
  • The metal of the frame and back plate is identified from the photographs; the paper mentions only shakudō.
  • The box bears an ink inscription, but no expert's signature is visible.
  • A few isolated pale specks on the nanako ground.

Score breakdown

62.8/100

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 25 of 25 Genuine signature of a first-rank master, confirmed by the paper
  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 31 of 59 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest