Details
A GOTO SCHOOL KOGAI AND KOZUKA
EDO PERIOD (CIRCA 1650), ATTESTED TO GOTO TEIJO BY GOTO HOJO (MITSUAKI)

The kogai and kozuka are of shakudo nanako plate decorated in high relief with inlay of gold and shakudo. The decoration depicts swallows in bamboo branches. The gold-covered frames have a yasurime surface. The reverse of each is signed Mon Teijo Mitsuaki with kao--kogai length 21.0cm., width 1.2cm., thickness 4.25mm.; kozuka length 9.7cm., width 1.5cm., thickness 1.1cm.

Double wood storage boxes. Inner box with inscription by Sato Kanzan, dated Showa 50 (1975). Accompanied by a tokubetsu kicho certificate issued by the N.B.T.H.K., no. 179, dated Showa 46 (1971), and by an original origami dated Kaei 5 (18520, and signed Goto Mitsuaki (Hojo), stating that this was a mitokoromono at the time (the menuki are now missing) and that the pieces were worth 100 kan. (2)
Provenance
Amiya (Ogura Soemon)
Alexander Moslé
Joseph U. Seo, New York
Literature
Moslé (1932), vol. I, p. 105, no. 194

Lot Essay

Goto Teijo (1603-1673) was the ninth Shirobei mainline master of the Goto school. He was the first son of Goto Kenjo (1586-1663), 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 patronized 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 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 favor of Renjo he became more independent and conceived his own designs. His work is often overlooked and some of his early pieces are attributed to Renjo.

Goto Hojo (Mitsuoki, 1816-1856) was the sixteenth Shirobei mainline master of the Goto school.

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