Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shakudō kozuka with a nanako ground and a gold minogame in high relief, signed 佐野政好 (Sano Masayoshi) with kaō on the gilt reverse. Late Edo period.
Kozuka of the Sano school, signed 佐野政好 (Sano Masayoshi) followed by a 花押 (kaō) on the reverse. According to the original seller, the Sano school is a branch of the Yanagawa line, known for precise carving and mythical creatures, and Masayoshi was particularly admired for the fineness of his nanako grounds. The face, in glossy black shakudō with a minute, perfectly aligned nanako, bears at its centre a minogame — the long-lived turtle whose trailing seaweed tail resembles a straw raincoat — in gold takabori, applied as suemon zōgan; the shell plates are crisply chiselled and the tail is rendered in fine kebori lines. A gold rim frames the plate, and the reverse is covered by a gold plate with a linear texture, where the signature is cut. The photographs show excellent condition: intact nanako, unworn gold and a deep original patina. Stated dimensions: 97.2 × 14.9 mm. It comes in a paulownia wood box lined with silk. The original seller declares an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, which does not appear in the photographs.
Strong points
- Signed 佐野政好 (Sano Masayoshi) with kaō
- Very fine and regular shakudō nanako ground
- Gold minogame in takabori with kebori details
- Reverse covered with a gold plate
- Excellent condition, original patina
Points to bear in mind
- The Tokubetsu Hozon paper is declared by the original seller; it does not appear in the photographs.
- The Late Edo dating comes from the seller and from style; the piece is not dated.
Score
66.1 / 100
- Maker 19 of 25 Genuine signature of a known maker or school
- Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
- Condition 18 of 18 Excellent 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 5.1 of 10 Rank 53 of 107 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
- Kozuka
- Maker
- Sano Masayoshi
- Period
- Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Material
- Shakudō, Gold
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Signed
- School
- Sano
- Inscription
- 佐野政好 (Sano Masayoshi)
- Technique
- Nanako (fish-roe ground), Takabori (high relief), Zōgan (inlay), Kebori (line engraving)
- Dating
- Late Edo period (19th century)