Kantei

NH-0782 Rank 6

Mitokoromono · Gotō Renjō

後藤廉乗 (Gotō Renjō)

A set of kozuka, kōgai and a pair of menuki depicting Okina and Sanbasō, from the Gotō main line, attributed to Renjō and designated Jūyō Tōsōgu by the NBTHK.

Mitokoromono (menuki, kozuka and kōgai)Mid-Edo (1688–1781)Mid-Edo period (late 17th – 18th century)NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A complete mitokoromono —kozuka, kōgai and a pair of menuki— on the nō theme of Okina and Sanbasō, the ritual dances that open a day of nō. The kozuka and kōgai have fine shakudō nanako grounds with the dancers in takabori and gold iroe; their backs are covered with gold sheet (ura-hōkin). The menuki, also in shakudō with gold accents, show the two figures carved in the round. The kozuka and kōgai bear the attribution inscription 紋廉乗 光孝 (mon Renjō Mitsutaka) with kaō: the thirteenth Gotō master, Mitsutaka (Enjō), certifies the figures as the work of Renjō, tenth head of the main line; the menuki are unsigned and the paper also gives them to Renjō. The set comes with an origami by Mitsutaka dated An'ei 4 (1775), valuing it at 150 kan, in its blue paper wrapper. The NBTHK paper designates the set Jūyō Tōsōgu and places it in the mid-Edo period. The photographs show the shakudō with a dark, even patina, crisp nanako and the gold of the figures and backs intact. The set appears in two exhibition catalogues (1995 and 2011) as part of the former Kōnoike collection.

Strong points

  • Designated Jūyō Tōsōgu by the NBTHK; the paper is visible in the photographs.
  • Gotō main line: figures attributed to Renjō, the tenth master of the family.
  • Origami by Gotō Mitsutaka dated 1775, with its original blue paper wrapper.
  • Shakudō nanako with takabori and gold iroe; backs in gold sheet.
  • Published in two exhibition catalogues; former Kōnoike collection.

Points to bear in mind

  • The inscription on the kozuka and kōgai is an attribution by Mitsutaka, not Renjō's own signature.
  • According to the origami and the 2011 catalogue, only the figures are by Renjō; the grounds were remade later, probably by Mitsutaka.
  • The original seller describes the kōgai as unsigned; the photographs and the paper show the inscription on the kozuka and kōgai, and it is the menuki that are unsigned.
  • The photographs are a reduced-size composite and do not show every detail of the condition.

Score breakdown

73.5/100

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 15 of 20 Notable work
  3. Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
  4. Period 7 of 12 Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
  5. Paper 8 of 10 NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu
  6. Extras 3 of 5 Adds: complete set by the same maker
  7. Price 1.5 of 10 Rank 12 of 14 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest