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The piece

Shakudō kozuka and kōgai with a nanako ground and mice beside a mochi in takabori, with gold back plates, attributed to Gotō Teijō by the thirteenth master of the Gotō house.

Futatokoro (kozuka and kōgai) of the Gotō main line. The gold reverse of both pieces bears the engraved attribution inscription 程乗作 光孝 花押 (Teijō saku Mitsutaka kaō): according to the original seller, with it the thirteenth master of the Gotō house judged the work to be by Teijō, ninth head of the family, born in Keichō 8 (1603), who also worked for the Maeda of Kaga. The subject is mochi ni nezumi (餅に鼠, "mice and rice cake"), an image of abundance linked to Daikokuten: on the kozuka two mice flank a large mochi, and on the kōgai a mouse moves towards another. The photographs show a shakudō ground with fine, even nanako, the mice in takabori with chiselled fur and eyes, the mochi in a pale metal (iroe, according to the seller) and gold back plates (uraita) with a finely lined texture. The condition appears good: crisp relief, unflattened nanako and no visible knocks, with some light spotting on the kozuka mochi. The seller declares an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper and a well-made kiri box; the paper does not appear in the photographs and the listing does not mention a hakogaki.

Strong points

  • Gotō main line: attribution to Teijō, ninth head of the family
  • Attribution inscription by the thirteenth Gotō master on both pieces
  • Shakudō ground with fine, even nanako; mice in takabori
  • Gold uraita on both kozuka and kōgai
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper declared by the seller

Points to bear in mind

  • The inscription is a later attribution (kiwame), not Teijō's own signature
  • The declared paper does not appear in the photographs
  • The listing does not mention a hakogaki; a kiri box is declared

Score

68 / 100

  1. Maker 15 of 25 Unsigned, attributed by the paper to a master
  2. Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
  3. Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
  4. Period 9 of 12 Early Edo (1615–1688)
  5. Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
  6. Extras 3 of 5 Adds: complete set by the same maker
  7. Price 8 of 10 Rank 5 of 21 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
Futatokoro (kozuka and kōgai)
Maker
Gotō Teijō
Period
Early Edo (1615–1688)
Material
Shakudō, Gold
Paper
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
Signature
Attributed (den)
School
後藤 (Gotō)
Inscription
程乗作 光孝(花押) (Teijō saku Mitsutaka (kaō))
Technique
Nanako (fish-roe ground), Takabori (high relief), Iroe (coloured inlay), Kebori (line engraving)
Dating
Early Edo period (17th century)
Extras
complete set by the same maker

€4,100Shipping and taxes included

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