A GOTO SCHOOL MITOKOROMONO

Details
A GOTO SCHOOL MITOKOROMONO
EDO PERIOD (CIRCA 1650), ATTESTED TO GOTO TEIJO BY GOTO HOJO

The kogai and kozuka have a shakudo nanako plate decorated in high relief inlay of gold, silver, and shakudo. The decoration depicts various seashells. The gold-covered frames have a yasurime surface. The backs are inscribed Mon Teijo Mitsuaki with kao. The pair of menuki are formed of gold, silver and shakudo as a pile of clam shells--kogai length 21.2cm., width 1.2cm., thickness 5.25mm; kozuka length 9.6cm., width 1.4cm., thickness 6.5mm.

Black lacquer storage box within a wood box. Inner box with inscription by Sato Kanzan, dated summer, 1975.

Accompanied by a tokubetsu kicho certificate issued by the N.B.T.H.K., no. 177, dated April 15th, 1971.
Provenance
Alexander Moslé
Joseph U. Seo, New York
Literature
Moslé (1914) Vol. I, no. 190, and illustrated in the plate book pl. XXIV, p. 140.

Lot Essay

Goto Teijo (1603-1673) was the ninth Shirobei mainline master of the Goto school. He was the first son of Goto Kenjo (1588-1663), the seventh mainline master. Because his uncle Goto Sokujo (1600-1631), the eighth mainline master, died young, Teijo succeeded to the title. He worked in his shadow and in the shadow of his father. He was patronised by the fourth Tokugawa shogun Ietsuna (1641-1680) from whom he received an annual stipend of forty koku of rice. He also worked for the Maeda family, daimyo of Kanazawa in Kaga, as second master of the Kaga Goto school. He became a full-time retainer of the Maeda Toshitsune (1593-1658) after Goto Renjo (1627-1708), the tenth mainline master, came of age.

His early work conforms to the classic Goto Shirobei tradition, but following his retirement in favour of Renjo he bacame more independant and conceived his own designs. His work is often overlooked and some of his early pieces are attributed to Renjo.

Goto Hojo (Mitsuaki, 1816-1856), was the sixteenth Shirobei mainline master.