NH-0952 Rank 70
Kozuka · Hosono Masamori
細野惣左衛門政守 (Hosono Sōzaemon Masamori)
Polished shakudō kozuka depicting a ferry crowded with passengers in fine kebori and flat gold inlay, signed by Hosono Sōzaemon Masamori, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Kozuka signed by Hosono Sōzaemon Masamori, a Kyoto craftsman (Yamashiro province) of the mid-Edo period, known for scenes of everyday life executed in extremely fine kebori and hira-zōgan. According to the original seller, he signed Masamori with a different character in his youth. The subject, noriaibune-zu (乗合船図), is a passenger ferry crowded with travellers crossing the waves: faces, hats, poles and bundles are individually rendered, with the gunwale and many details picked out in gold. The ground is polished shakudō (migakiji), the design engraved in kebori and enlivened with flat inlays of gold and touches of other coloured metals. The signature, with kaō, is engraved on the plain face. The photographs show an even black patina with no visible knocks or rust, although their small size does not allow the finest details to be judged. It comes with the NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu certificate, visible in the photographs, and a plain wooden box without inscription.
Strong points
- Full signature of Hosono Sōzaemon Masamori with kaō
- Very fine kebori and gold hira-zōgan, the maker's hallmark
- Lively scene of a ferry crowded with passengers
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate
Points to bear in mind
- A single composite of small photographs: fine details cannot be examined and the certificate text cannot be read
- The reading of the signature comes from the original seller; the signature is visible in the photographs but not legible character by character
Score breakdown
63.1/100
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.
- 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 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 4.1 of 10 Rank 35 of 59 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest