Category: Kozuka

Kozuka: Waki Goto “Sanbasō”

Signature/mei: unsigned

Material: shakudo, gold, silver

Era/jidai: Edo

Certificate: NBTHK Hozon (1997)

Custom made high quality kiri box with cushion

Price: €1875 / $2000 / ¥300000

Kozuka “Sanbasō” with NBTHK Hozon attribution to Waki ​​Goto

The design of this kozuka is a Noh mask with case next to the shoe of a Noh dancer.

The kozuka itself is made of shakudo-nanko, as is the mask pictured with its case and shoe, which are also made of shakduo. While the carved mask has a polished surface, the case has tsuchime-like chisel marks.

The mask pictured is used in a scene during the Noh play “Sanba-sō,” a dance or prayer for a rich harvest.

Usually, the mask has a very long beard and huge eyebrows reminiscent of an old man. The attachment points for these can be found on the mask, here made of a silver-like alloy.

All of the cords of the mask, case, and shoe are coloured with gold (iroe), as is the decoration of the case.

The Waki ​​Goto school is known for its high quality workmanship and is more free in its design than the masters of the mainline Goto.

This kozuka proves once again its exceptional craftsmanship.

Kozuka: Goto Teijo “Flowers and sickle”

Signature/mei: Mon Teijo – Mitsuakira (kao)

Material: shakudo, gold, copper, shibuichi

Era/jidai: Edo

Certificate: NBTHK Hozon

Custom made high quality kiri box with cushion

Price: €2800 / $3100 / ¥450000

Kozuka, where the motif, “Flowers with sickle” was made by Teijo Mitsuaki (1603-1673), the 9th generation of the Goto main line, the Shirobei line. This subject was set in a new case about 200 years later by Goto Hojo Mitsuakira (1816-1856) , the 16th generation Goto mainline.
How valued this type of fitting was is demonstrated by this beautiful kozuka, which is still repaired and maintained by the same family of artists after generations.

Kozuka: Kaga “Insects”

Signature/mei: Unsigned

Material: shakudo, gold

Era/jidai: Edo

Dimension: 97.0 x 13.8 mm

NBTHK: Guarantee for Hozon

Custom made high quality kiri box with cushion

Price: €600 / $660 / ¥100000

Kozuka from the Kaga school of sword fitting artist with the motif of insects. The insects are made of gold and inlaid using a technique called hira-zogan, for which the Kaga school is famous. On the back side we see some yasurime.

Together with this tsuba it would make a wonderful set.

Kozuka: Yoshioka “Chrysanthemum”

Signature/mei: unsigned

Material: shakudo, gold, silver

Era/jidai: Edo

Dimension: 97.6 x 14.4 mm

NBTHK: Hozon (Mumei Yoshioka) from 2002

Custom made quality kiri box with cushion

Price: €890 / $980 / ¥140000

Kozuka from the Yoshioka school of sword fitting artist with the motif of a chrysanthemum arrangement.
On the shakudo-nanako base we see a chrysanthemum flower arrangement which is also made of shakudo and accented with gold (iroe) and silver.

Kozuka: Kaga “Cricket”

Signature/mei: unsigned

Material: shakudo, shibuichi, gold

Era/jidai: Edo

Dimension: 98.7 x 14 mm

NBTHK: Hozon (Kaga)

Custom made high quality kiri box with cushion

Price: €1000 / $1100 / ¥160000

Kozuka from the Kaga school of sword fitting artist with the motif of a cricket. The cricket is made of gold and inlaid using a technique called hira-zogan, for which the Kaga school is famous.
A decoration is added to the front which seems to be made from shibuchi that gives the kozuka a nice balance.
Together with this tsuba it would make a wonderful set.

Kozuka: Ikebana scissors

Signature/mei: Mitsusuke (Goto Kanjo)

Material: shakudo with very fine nanako, scissors in shakudo, iroe in copper silver and gold

Era/jidai: middle Edo period

Dimension: 9.9 cm x 1.5 cm

Custom kiri box with cushion

Price: €1880 / $1999 / ¥300000

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This very fine kozuka was made by Goto Kanjo, the eldest son of Goto Mitsumasa (Jujo) the 12th generation Goto mainline.
Kanjo was also called Tadakichi and later Sadakichi, lived in Edo and died on the 7th February 1798.

Ikebana scissors is a rarely seen design on tosogu in general, but for Goto even more as it’s far from typical Goto designs. Even if the design isn’t typical for Goto, the kozuka has a strict Goto feeling which might be due to the superb nanako which covers the whole kozuka (only the backside has no nanako). The accurate placed scissors is perfectly aligned with the edge of the kozuka, which also gives the impression of a strict formal Goto design. The scissors and the aster branch rise high above the base plate and are of outstanding quality. Some water drops are inlaid in gold and silver.
All in all this is a very rare kozuka and well suited for an ikebana artist or enthusiast.

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Kozuka: Hotei sleeping on his bag

Signature/mei: Hidefusa

Material: shibuichi with kiriba and katakiriba

Dimension: 10.0 cm x 1.44 cm

Price: €250 / $280 / ¥40000

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