This is a pair of menuki featuring a design of grapes and squirrels, attributed to the Ko-Goto school. Crafted from shakudo with high-relief carving, the menuki depict plump grapes and agile squirrels. The piece dates back to the Muromachi period and comes with an NBTHK Hozon certificate.
NihontoWatch
Ko-Goto School
Kotō
Yamashiro
Unsigned
Iebori · Kyoto
The term Ko-Gotō refers to works of the Gotō family from the time of the first master, Yūjō, in the Muromachi period, through approximately the fifth master, Tokujō, in the Momoyama period, for which it is not possible to determine the individual artist's personal name. These unsigned pieces represent the formative period of the Gotō house—the official metalworkers to the Ashikaga and later Tokugawa shogunates—and embody the foundational aesthetic principles that would define the school's centuries-long dominance of elite tōsōgu production. Learn more →
We could not find an authenticity certificate on the seller’s listing. Japanese swords and fittings are normally papered by the NBTHK (or the NTHK). Without one, the attribution is the seller’s own assessment and has not been independently verified — treat it with caution and ask the dealer about certification before buying.
If, due to our fault, the item differs significantly from its proper condition, the item may be returned. Cooling-off is within one week of the item's arrival.
This is a pair of menuki featuring a design of grapes and squirrels, attributed to the Ko-Goto school. Crafted from shakudo with high-relief carving, the menuki depict plump grapes and agile squirrels. The piece dates back to the Muromachi period and comes with an NBTHK Hozon certificate.
NihontoWatchKo-Goto School
Kotō
Yamashiro
Unsigned
Iebori · Kyoto
The term Ko-Gotō refers to works of the Gotō family from the time of the first master, Yūjō, in the Muromachi period, through approximately the fifth master, Tokujō, in the Momoyama period, for which it is not possible to determine the individual artist's personal name. These unsigned pieces represent the formative period of the Gotō house—the official metalworkers to the Ashikaga and later Tokugawa shogunates—and embody the foundational aesthetic principles that would define the school's centuries-long dominance of elite tōsōgu production. Learn more →
We could not find an authenticity certificate on the seller’s listing. Japanese swords and fittings are normally papered by the NBTHK (or the NTHK). Without one, the attribution is the seller’s own assessment and has not been independently verified — treat it with caution and ask the dealer about certification before buying.
If, due to our fault, the item differs significantly from its proper condition, the item may be returned. Cooling-off is within one week of the item's arrival.
