NH-0974 Rank 256
Kozuka · Ko-Gotō
Shakudō nanako kozuka with paulownia and phoenix in takabori, a converted kōgai panel attributed to Ko-Gotō, with Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Unsigned kozuka attributed to Ko-Gotō, the name given to the first three generations of the main Gotō line, the school that served the shōguns for some four hundred years. According to the original seller it is a kōgai-naoshi: the decorated panel of an old kōgai was later adapted as a kozuka. The motif is paulownia (kiri) with a phoenix (hōō), a subject of rank closely associated with the Gotō house. The photographs show a black shakudō panel with a nanako ground and takabori leaves, flowers and bird within a recessed window; the reverse is a plain gold-toned plate with fine striations. It measures 1.45 × 9.73 cm and weighs 41.6 g, according to the original seller. No knocks, cracks or rust are visible, although the resolution of the photographs does not allow fine wear to be judged. It comes with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu certificate, visible in the photographs, attributing the piece to Ko-Gotō. It is kept in an uninscribed wooden box.
Strong points
- Attribution to Ko-Gotō, the early generations of the main Gotō line
- Shakudō with nanako ground and takabori paulownia and phoenix
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu certificate
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: the paper attributes it to a group of generations, not to a single master
- Kōgai-naoshi: a kōgai panel later adapted as a kozuka
- Low-resolution photographs; the metal of the reverse and fine wear cannot be confirmed
Score breakdown
52.5/100
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 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
- Workmanship 10 of 20 Good work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 11 of 12 Momoyama (1573–1615)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 4.5 of 10 Rank 33 of 59 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest