NihontoWatchNihontoWatchC337. Solid gold menuki, 3.9 x 1.4 cm each. The theme of this pair is Takara Zukashi: Treasures of many kinds. Shown are 4 of the treasures: Kakuregasa (hat of invisibility), Kanabukuro (endless treasure bag), Uchide no kozuchi (magic wishing hammer), and Kakure mino (cloak of invisibility). There are many other treasures but these four in combination usually refer to Momotaro, the Peach Boy. Momotaro won these treasures by fighting the Oni (demons) and protecting his people (a fitting theme for samurai). The Maeda clan were the Daimyo of Kaga Province. Kaga was a quite wealthy province, rich in gold among other resources and the Maeda used their wealth to hire the best of kodogu artists. Mainline Goto masters Kenjo and Teijo moved to Kaga and established the group we know today as Kaga Goto or Kaga Kinko. This set of menuki, which is in excellent condition, comes in a fitted box with pillow and with a Tokubetsu Hozon paper form the NBTHK in Tokyo, dated 2022: Mumei, Kaga Goto, Kin Mukuji (solid gold), Katachi Bori (carving style). My pictures were taken in 2 different natural lights – sunny and cloudy – they should give an accurate impression. Was $2,750,.
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Kaga-Goto School
Edo
Kaga
Unsigned
Tokuho (NBTHK)
Iebori · Kaga
16 pieces on the market now
The Kaga Goto (加賀後藤) school arose when the Maeda lords of Kaga Province drew masters of the Goto house from Kyoto into their direct service. The founding figure was Goto Kakujo Mitsunobu (覚乗光信), born in Kyoto in Tensho 17 (1589) as the second son of Chojo. By the directive of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Goto family's closely guarded techniques, transmitted as an exclusive isshi soden (一子相伝) lineage, were conferred in full upon Kakujo of the Kanbei house, although it was not the main line. Retained by the Maeda at the extraordinary stipend of 150 koku, he was held in particular favour by Lord Maeda Toshitsune. The school's second principal figure was Goto Etsujo Mitsukuni (悦乗光邦), second son of Teijo, who strengthened the Rihei branch. Together with Enjo (演乗) of the Kanbei house, Etsujo alternated yearly between Kyoto and Kanazawa, training many disciples and devoting himself to the development of Kaga metalwork. The designated corpus reveals a body of work executed entirely in the orthodox Goto house manner (o-ie-ryu).
The prevailing ground is shakudo nanako-ji[[c:1]], upon which designs are rendered in takabori with gold iroe (金色絵) and, in polychrome compositions, gold, silver, and shakudo suemon. Gold nanako-ji grounds also appear, as in Kakujo's Kurikara futokoro-mono set upon a gold plate with polychrome accents. " In complete ito-maki tachi koshirae ensembles, the full suite of fittings is worked in shakudo nanako-ji scattered with the family crest in gold sukidashi takabori with kin-iroe, yielding mountings of courtly splendour. " The setsumei attest to the Kaga Goto's significance within the broader Goto tradition. Etsujo's workmanship adheres "exclusively to the orthodox Goto house style," with skill "in no way inferior to that of his father Teijo," and the construction and nikuoki of Mitsukuni's signed mitokoromono match Teijo's own work. " Their rarity, combined with the exceptional technical standard the corpus documents, underscores the Kaga Goto school's place within the Goto legacy and the Edo-period tosogu canon. Learn more →
A Hozon-certified fitting of notably superior craftsmanship and condition, often with signature or workmanship of high reference value.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
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