Kantei

NH-0781 Rank 55

Mitokoromono · Masamori

政守 (Masamori)

Three-piece set (kozuka, kōgai and a pair of menuki) in shakudō with a scull oar and paddle among water plants, gold-signed Masamori, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.

Mitokoromono (menuki, kozuka and kōgai)Late Edo (1781–1868)Edo period (according to the original seller)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A mitokoromono made up of a kozuka, a kōgai and a pair of menuki, on the theme 藻に櫓櫂図 (mo ni rokai zu): a scull oar and a paddle among water plants. The kozuka and kōgai have a fine, even shakudō nanako ground with the design in takabori. The menuki, also in shakudō, are carved in the round (katachibori). The plain backs of the kozuka and kōgai bear the signature 政守 (Masamori) with its kaō, inlaid in gold. In the photographs the patina is an even black and the relief is crisp, with only light handling wear on the backs. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 2003585, dated 28 June 2016, records the gold signature, 金銘 (kinmei), on the kozuka and kōgai and attributes the unsigned menuki to the same Masamori, so the set is by a single maker. According to the original seller it is kept in a kiri box and dates from the Edo period.

Strong points

  • Complete three-piece set by a single maker, according to the paper
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2016)
  • Fine, even shakudō nanako ground with the design in takabori
  • Gold-inlaid signature with kaō on the kozuka and kōgai

Points to bear in mind

  • The menuki are unsigned: the paper attributes them to Masamori
  • The signature is inlaid in gold (kinmei), not chiselled
  • Neither the paper nor the pieces specify the sub-period within Edo
  • The original listing mentions iroe, which is not visible in the photographs

Score breakdown

64.2/100

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 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 3 of 5 Adds: complete set by the same maker
  7. Price 9.2 of 10 Rank 2 of 14 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest