Kantei

NH-0786 Rank 60

Gotokoromono · Naoyoshi and Egawa Munemasa

直好 / 江川宗政 (Naoyoshi and Egawa Munemasa)

Set of tsuba, kozuka, fuchi-kashira and menuki in shakudō nanako with the ivy crest in gold, signed by Naoyoshi and Egawa Munemasa, with Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

Gotokoromono (five-piece set)Mid-Edo (1688–1781)Mid to late Edo period (18th–19th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A matched set of sword fittings decorated with the ivy crest within a circle (maru ni tsuta-mon), comprising a tsuba, a kozuka, a fuchi-kashira and a pair of menuki. According to the paper, the tsuba is signed Naoyoshi with kaō, and the kozuka and fuchi are signed Egawa Munemasa, also with kaō; the kashira and menuki are unsigned. The original seller identifies Naoyoshi as Sano Naoyoshi, a mid-Edo metalworker who studied under Yanagawa Naomasa and served the Akimoto lords of Yamagata, and describes Munemasa as a pupil of Egawa Toshimasa active in the late Edo period. The pieces are of shakudō with a nanako ground and the crests worked in takabori with gold iroe; the round tsuba, with two hitsu-ana, carries crest medallions on both faces, and the back of the kozuka is gilt. The original seller describes the menuki as solid gold. The photographs show an even black patina and intact gilding on the high points, with no visible knocks or rust, although their size does not allow close inspection. The set is kept in a paulownia box and holds NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tosōgu paper no. 221772, dated 18 March 1993.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tosōgu paper accepting the signatures of Naoyoshi and Egawa Munemasa
  • Complete, coherent set of tsuba, kozuka, fuchi-kashira and menuki sharing the same crest
  • Shakudō nanako ground with crests in takabori and gold iroe
  • Gold menuki according to the original seller and the paper
  • Patina and gilding in good order in the photographs

Points to bear in mind

  • Not the work of a single maker: tsuba by Naoyoshi, kozuka and fuchi by Munemasa, kashira and menuki mumei
  • The set does not include a kōgai
  • The photographs are small and do not allow a thorough assessment of the patina

Score breakdown

64/100

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 7 of 12 Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
  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 10 of 10 Rank 1 of 2 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest