NH-0984 Rank 183
Menuki · Ko-Mino
A pair of solid gold menuki depicting a sheaf of water plants, unsigned and attributed to the Ko-Mino school by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
An unsigned pair of menuki attributed by the NBTHK paper to the Ko-Mino school, the early Mino tradition known for dense and vigorous plant compositions. The paper titles the work 水草図目貫 (mizukusa-zu menuki), menuki with a water-plant motif, and describes it as 金無垢地 容彫 (kinmuku-ji katachibori): solid gold carved as a cut-out sculpture in the round. Each piece shows a bundle of water grasses tied with a cord, from which spring lanceolate leaves with finely engraved veins, curling tendrils and small flowers, with openings between the stems lightening the design. According to the original seller, each menuki measures 2.6 × 1.2 cm and weighs 2.7 g. The photographs show both pieces front and back: crisp carving, no breaks or losses, with a slight softening of the highest points from use. The backs retain their original unsigned surface. Accompanied by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, no. 2006965, dated 15 January 2021, and a fabric-lined wooden box with no visible inscription.
Strong points
- Solid gold (kinmuku), per the paper and visible in the photographs
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, 2021
- Water-plant composition with openwork and engraved veining
- Complete pair in good condition
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: a school attribution, not an individual maker
- The period is inferred from the attribution and style; the paper does not state it
- Slight wear from use on the highest relief
Score breakdown
57.3/100
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 15 of 20 Notable 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 4.3 of 10 Rank 13 of 22 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest