-, 26th Session — Designated May 28, 2020
, with scattered crests in gold-shell and (金梨子地葵紋散金貝蒔絵鞘糸巻太刀拵)
by Shimada Nobuo (嶋田伸夫)
Overall Description A formally appointed in which the () is dispersed across the entire ensemble. The mount combines sumptuous, courtly splendor—gold and gold-shell decoration on the scabbard—with orthodox Gotō-style fittings in enriched by high-relief carving and gold .
Measurements Total length: 98.0 cm; overall curvature (): 5.3 cm; hilt length: 23.2 cm; hilt curvature: 0.2 cm; scabbard length: 74.5 cm; scabbard curvature: 3.5 cm.
Components : Gold () ground, decorated with scattered crests executed in gold-shell () and (金梨子地葵紋散金貝蒔絵). : Covered in gold brocade () dyed kuchinashi (梔染金襴着); wrapped in flat wrap () with “shrimp-brown” (ebicha) cord (海老茶色糸平巻). The is made in the manner as the hilt wrapping (渡巻 柄巻に仕立同様). : Carved-in (kurikomi) shape (刳込葵木瓜形); with bucket-bottom, three-ridge rim treatment and gold (桶底三棟金色絵耳). Signed: Gotō Etsujō with (銘 後藤悦乗〔花押〕). : Included within the “overall fittings” (sō-kanagu): , , , , , and —all with scattered crests; ; with gold ; small gold rim (); unsigned (総金具…葵紋散図、赤銅魚子地、鋤出高彫、金色絵、金小縁、無銘). : Three pairs of crests; ; rounded relief carving (yōbori) with gold (目貫…赤銅魚子地、容彫、金色絵). /: Not mentioned. : Included within the “overall fittings” as the (石突). Other fittings: Two large : scattered crests; ; ; cross- undercut carving (十字襷鋤下彫); four-direction openwork; gold ; unsigned (大切羽二枚…無銘). Small : four with gold ground and two of ground (小切羽 金地四枚、赤銅地二枚). : crest design; round; ; yōbori with gold (太鼓金…). Belt fastener (obi-tori): indigo-dyed leather (帯執 藍染革). Suspension cord (): silk in white, purple, light green, and orange; tortoiseshell-pattern braid (kikkō-gumi) (佩緒…糸亀甲組). The interval between suspension mounts (ashima) is wrapped in (足間 金襴包).
Artisan/Origin* The guard is signed “Gotō Etsujō” with (後藤悦乗〔花押〕). Given this, it is inferred that the remaining fittings were likewise assembled as a coherent set by Etsujō.
Era Early period (江戸時代前期).
Explanation The is one of the early modern () forms of warrior-class ceremonial and procession mountings (heijō / gijō ). It was also widely employed among high-ranking samurai as mountings for presentation purposes and for dedication to shrines and temples. Typically, the complete suite of fittings (sō-kanagu) is executed in , with the family crest scattered in gold. The scabbard is finished in gold —more rarely in a fully gold-lacquered ground—and the crest is frequently expressed in and/or gold-shell decoration. Because the hilt and the are dressed in and then bound with cord wrapping (), this class of ceremonial mounting is termed .
Etsujō was the second son of Jōjō, who succeeded as the ninth head of the Gotō main line. Born in Kyoto in ’ei 19 (1642), he used the personal name Mitsukuni (光邦). He strengthened the Rihei family line, and received a stipend of 150 from the Maeda house. Alternating by year with Enjō of the Kanbee line, he resided in Kanazawa in Province, served the Maeda house, trained many pupils, and worked toward the development of metalwork. In later life he was granted a residence in Shitaya, , and together with the main family served the Tokugawa bakufu. He died at age sixty-seven in Hōei 5 (1708). He signed “Gotō Mitsukuni” with and “Gotō Etsujō” with . His workmanship adheres exclusively to the orthodox Gotō house style (o-ie-ryū), and his skill is in no way inferior to that of his father Jōjō.
This mounting is a formally correct (shikishō) unified by the crest: the complete fittings set employs the crest, and the gold scabbard is likewise adorned with crests in gold-shell and . Its manufacture is judged to date to the early period. Because the guard bears the signature of Gotō Etsujō with , the other fittings are also likely to have been organized as a set of his work. The scabbard’s gold-shell and are of high quality and possess refinement and dignity, producing a luxurious mounting commensurate with Etsujō’s fittings, a maker who contributed to the flourishing of the Gotō. The signature is also of high documentary value. In both fittings and scabbard, this is an elegant .
[Tōsō 44]
