Kantei

NH-0777 Rank 32

Mitokoromono · Gotō Hisanori

後藤久乗 (Gotō Hisanori)

Set of kozuka, kōgai and menuki on the Daikokuten theme, evoked by a radish and rats, in shakudō nanako with gold and silver iroe, signed by Gotō Hisanori and designated Jūyō Tōsōgu.

Mitokoromono (menuki, kozuka and kōgai)Late Edo (1781–1868)Late Edo period (mid-19th century)NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A complete mitokoromono: kozuka, kōgai and a pair of menuki by Gotō Hisanori, fifth master of the Gotō Shichirōemon house, younger brother of the celebrated Ichijō and raised to the honorary rank of Hokkyō. The theme is a rusu-moyō, a motif in absence: the radish (suzushiro) and the rats, offerings to Daikokuten, god of abundance, suggest the deity without showing him. On the kozuka and the kōgai the radish and rats are worked in high relief (takabori) with gold and silver iroe on a very even shakudō nanako ground, and the backs are of gold. The menuki, carved in the round in shakudō, carry applied gold and silver. The kozuka is signed with another name of the same artist and a kaō, the kōgai as Gotō Hokkyō Hisanori with a kaō, and the menuki bear the signature split across two plaques. The photographs show an even black patina, a crisp nanako and well-preserved gold, with no visible damage. The set was designated Jūyō Tōsōgu by the NBTHK at the 67th session (29 October 2021); the paper dates it to the end of the Edo period, and the designation text praises the balanced use of colour and the rarity of the Hisanori signature. According to the original seller, it comes in a kiri box.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu designation (67th session, 2021)
  • Complete three-piece set by the same artist, all signed
  • Shakudō nanako with takabori and gold and silver iroe, gold backs
  • Auspicious Daikokuten theme evoked by radish and rats
  • Uncommon Hisanori signature, according to the paper

Points to bear in mind

  • The photographs of the set are small overall views; condition is assessed within that limit
  • The kozuka is signed with another name of the artist; it is the paper that identifies it with Hisanori
  • The kiri box carries no expert inscription

Score breakdown

67.8/100

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 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 8 of 10 NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu
  6. Extras 3 of 5 Adds: complete set by the same maker
  7. Price 3.8 of 10 Rank 9 of 14 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest