Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shakudō ishime fuchi-kashira with plum blossoms in multicoloured shippō enamel within gold cloisons, signed by Hirata Nariaki, seventh master of the Hirata school.
Fuchi-kashira of the Hirata school, the family that revived shippō enamel for sword fittings and practised it in the service of the shogunate. According to the original seller it is signed 平田就亮 (Hirata Nariaki), the seventh head of the family counted from Hirata Dōnin, who inherited the workshop in 1770 and worked until 1816. The subject is the plum in blossom (baika), herald of early spring: on the kashira, three scattered flowers seen from the front and in profile; on the fuchi, a branch running along the piece with open flowers and buds. The photographs show a black shakudō ground with an ishime finish, on which each petal is outlined in gold wire and filled with white, red, green, purple and yellow enamel, with gold stamens. The visible condition is good: an even black patina, complete enamels with the fine pitting typical of early shippō, and no visible knocks. Declared dimensions: fuchi 37.5 mm, kashira 32.5 mm. It comes with a paulownia box. The original seller declares an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Strong points
- Work of the Hirata school, specialists in shippō enamel
- Declared signature of Hirata Nariaki, seventh master of the line
- Five-colour shippō in gold cloisons on shakudō ishime
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper according to the original seller
- Well-preserved enamels and an even black patina
Points to bear in mind
- The signature is not shown in the photographs; it is stated by the original seller
- The declared paper is not photographed
- Only one photograph of the piece; reverse and tenjōgane are not visible
- Fine pitting in some enamels, typical of early shippō
Score
60.2 / 100
- Maker 19 of 25 Genuine signature of a known maker or school
- Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 5 of 12 Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 3.2 of 10 Rank 31 of 45 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest
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.
Details
- Type
- Fuchi-kashira
- Maker
- Hirata Nariaki
- Period
- Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Material
- Shakudō, Gold, Other material
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Signed
- School
- Hirata
- Inscription
- 平田就亮 (Hirata Nariaki)
- Technique
- Zōgan (inlay), Other technique
- Dating
- Late Edo period (late 18th – early 19th century)