Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shakudō nanako fuchi-kashira depicting the gods of good fortune in takabori with gold iroe, signed by Gotō Mitsusada with kaō and accompanied by NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Fuchi-kashira of the Gotō school, signed on the tenjō of the fuchi 後藤光定(花押) (Gotō Mitsusada kaō). According to the original seller, Mitsusada worked in Kyoto, headed one of the branches of the Gotō family, wrote a treatise on the carving of the early masters of the house and died in 1723. The theme is the gods of good fortune, 福神図 (fukujin-zu), as the paper titles it: on the kashira, a figure holding a fan beside a gold moon among clouds, identified by the seller as Hotei pointing at the moon; on the fuchi, Daikoku with his sack leading an ox loaded with rice bales and, on the other side, a flowering plum beside a stream. The ground is shakudō with fine, even nanako; the figures are worked in takabori with gold iroe and silver-toned details, and the rims carry a gold band. The tenjō of the fuchi is copper. The photographs show good condition: light wear to the gold on the rims and use scratches inside the kashira, with no visible dents or cracks. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper no. 2011902, dated 18 December 2025, accepts it as signed by Gotō Mitsusada. It is kept in a kiri-wood box with a lined panel.
Strong points
- Signed 後藤光定(花押) (Gotō Mitsusada kaō), signature confirmed by NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers (2025).
- Fine, even shakudō nanako ground with figures in takabori and gold iroe.
- Complete gods-of-fortune programme, with Daikoku and his rice-laden ox on the fuchi.
- Gold bands on the rims of both fuchi and kashira.
Points to bear in mind
- Gotō school, but from a secondary branch of the family rather than its main line.
- Light wear to the gold on the rims and use scratches inside the kashira.
- The listing does not mention a hakogaki; the kiri box shows no inscription in the photographs.
Score
63.1 / 100
- Maker 19 of 25 Genuine signature of a known maker or school
- Workmanship 10 of 20 Good 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 9.1 of 10 Rank 5 of 45 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
- Fuchi-kashira
- Maker
- Gotō Mitsusada
- Period
- Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
- Material
- Shakudō, Gold, Silver, Copper
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Signed
- School
- Gotō
- Inscription
- 後藤光定(花押) (Gotō Mitsusada kaō)
- Technique
- Nanako (fish-roe ground), Takabori (high relief), Iroe (coloured inlay)
- Dating
- Mid-Edo period (late 17th – early 18th century)
- Paper number
- 2011902
- Paper date
- 18 December 2025
- Attribution on the paper
- 後藤光定 (Gotō Mitsusada)