Kantei

NH-0787 Rank 144

Futatokoro · kōgai and menuki with matchlock guns

A kōgai and a pair of menuki in yamagane with matchlock guns in high relief, late Muromachi, designated Jūyō Kodōgu at the 16th NBTHK session (1967).

Futatokoro (kozuka and kōgai)Muromachi or earlier (before 1573)Late Muromachi period (late 16th century)NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A futatokoro made up of a kōgai and a pair of menuki, unsigned and not attributed to any maker or school. The subject is the matchlock gun, introduced to Japan in 1543 when a Portuguese ship reached Tanegashima: on the kōgai, over a nanako-ground panel, a matchlock with its slow match and a powder flask in takabori; on the menuki, carved in the round, the gun appears with the match coiled in loops and the powder flask. Everything is worked in yamagane, an unrefined copper with a dark, warm patina. The kōgai measures 23.5 cm according to the paper. The photographs show an even, aged patina, the high points slightly lighter from handling, legible relief and no visible damage; traces of red lacquer remain on the reverse of one menuki. The paper, an NBTHK shiteisho dated 10 August 1967 (Shōwa 42), designates the set Jūyō Kodōgu, the former name of the Jūyō rank, under number 246; the catalogue entry of the 16th session dates it to the late Muromachi period and stresses its documentary interest and the quality of its workmanship. The original seller states that it comes in a kiri box.

Strong points

  • Designated Jūyō Kodōgu, 16th NBTHK session (1967), no. 246
  • Rare, documentary subject: the matchlock gun introduced in 1543
  • Yamagane with an old, warm and even patina
  • Kōgai in takabori on a nanako ground; menuki carved in the round
  • Late Muromachi period

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned and not attributed to any maker or school
  • The set consists of a kōgai and a pair of menuki, not a kozuka and a kōgai
  • Traces of red lacquer on the reverse of one menuki
  • Photographs of modest resolution

Score breakdown

59.1/100

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 3 of 25 No attribution
  2. Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
  3. Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
  4. Period 12 of 12 Muromachi or earlier (before 1573)
  5. Paper 8 of 10 NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu
  6. Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
  7. Price 7.1 of 10 Rank 3 of 8 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest