Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shakudō kozuka with a nanako ground and two tsuzumi bound with gold cords in takabori, signed 後藤廉乗 (Gotō Renjō) with kaō; the original seller declares an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Kozuka signed by Gotō Renjō, a master of the main line of the Gotō school who, according to the original seller, worked between Kyōto and Edo in the second half of the 17th century. The front shows a shakudō ground of fine, even nanako, from which two tsuzumi, the hand drums of the nō theatre, rise in takabori, their gold cords looping along the plate. The drum bodies are black with small gilt motifs and the drumheads have a silvery tone; the seller describes flat inlays of gold and silver (hira-zōgan) and gold iroe. The plain shakudō back is engraved with the signature 後藤廉乗 (Gotō Renjō) followed by his kaō, which the seller presents as the master's own signature. Dimensions according to the seller: 97.9 mm long and 14.6 mm wide. In the photographs the nanako is crisp and the gold of the cords intact; the back shows fine surface scratches from use. The seller mentions a paulownia box and declares an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, which does not appear in the photographs.
Strong points
- Signed work, with kaō, by a master of the main Gotō line.
- Fine, even shakudō nanako ground.
- Two tsuzumi in takabori with gold cords and silvery details.
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper declared by the original seller.
Points to bear in mind
- The paper does not appear in the photographs; it rests only on the original seller's declaration.
- The signature on the back is shown small in the photographs.
- Fine surface scratches on the back.
- The listing does not mention a hakogaki.
Score
68.6 / 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 3.6 of 10 Rank 69 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 (Gotō Renjō) 花押 (kaō)
- Technique
- Nanako (fish-roe ground), Takabori (high relief), Iroe (coloured inlay), Zōgan (inlay), Migaki (burnished)
- Dating
- Mid-Edo period (late 17th century)