Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shakudō kozuka with a nanako ground and tsuzumi drums in high relief with gold and silver, signed by Gotō Renjō, tenth master of the Gotō main line.
Kozuka signed on the reverse 後藤廉乗 (Gotō Renjō) with his kaō. Renjō was the tenth head of the main line of the Gotō school, a son of Sokujō, and according to the original seller he worked for some forty-five years across a wide range of subjects. The front depicts tsuzumi drums, large and small, linked by their cords: the drum body in black shakudō with gold decoration, the drumheads in silver with small floral motifs, and gold cords running across the field. The photographs show a fine, regular shakudō nanako ground, the motif carved in takabori with good volume, and finishing in gold iroe and gold and silver zōgan. The reverse is plain shakudō, with the signature chiselled on the right. The condition is good: the gilding is intact, the nanako keeps its grain and the patina is deep; the reverse shows fine wear scratches. It measures 97.9 × 14.6 mm according to the seller and is kept in a paulownia wood box with a fabric bed. The original seller declares an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, which does not appear in the photographs.
Strong points
- Signed by Gotō Renjō, tenth master of the Gotō main line
- Fine, regular shakudō nanako ground
- Tsuzumi drums in takabori with gold and silver
- Intact gilding and deep patina
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper declared by the seller
Points to bear in mind
- The declared paper does not appear in the photographs
- The reverse shows fine surface wear scratches
- The reading of the signature relies on the listing; the photographs do not resolve every stroke
Score
68 / 100
- Maker 25 of 25 Genuine signature of a first-rank master, confirmed by the paper
- Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 7 of 12 Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
- 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 of 10 Rank 75 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
- Gotō Renjō
- Period
- Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
- Material
- Shakudō, Gold, Silver
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Signed
- School
- Gotō
- Inscription
- 後藤廉乗 花押 (Gotō Renjō kaō)
- Technique
- Nanako (fish-roe ground), Takabori (high relief), Iroe (coloured inlay), Zōgan (inlay)
- Dating
- Mid-Edo period (late 17th century)