kantei

[Darcy]

I have some idea of what these may be but there are no papers.

 

We have some deer.

 

What's your call?

 

High res here: http://www.nihonto.ca/deer-l.jpg

 

[Geraint]

I'd venture ko kinko?

[Soshin]

Hi Darcy,

 

My guest is Ko-Goto. Not my area of focus so I want to learn more.

[raven2]

I would go with Ko-Goto also although I do not have much experience here either. I do love the pieces however. Really nice.

[Stephen]

Ill split them up nuks Ko Kinko, Kozuka Ko Goto.

 

i really dont see them as a match, other than deer motif.

[Darcy]

Yes, they are not made together. It's a put together set... so you're right right away if you split them up (not that there is a wrong (or say, wrongish) answer, there are no papers). So I'm genuinely curious.

[John A Stuart]

The way the waves are rendered lead me to Kaga Goto. They have fittings with that background and mon usually, but, animals sometimes. Odd though isn't it, deer gamboling in the waves. The menuki, I'm still pondering. John

[Pete Klein]

Funny, I wrote Curran earlier this afternoon; "From my perspective, the construction of the menuki aren't Goto but the way they are inlayed with gold makes them not Mino so -- Ko Kinko in my book. The kozuka I feel is Kaga, possibly Kaga Goto via Teijo, or Waki Goto. If the menuki were available alone I'd try to buy them but whatever".

 

The menuki construction is similar to Ko Mino but the gauge of metal and carving is a bit too thick. The gold inlay if flush and more akin to Kaga but but the construction is not Kaga. I think the Ko Kinko attribution would apply, not that that says much.

[Darcy]

They were in the fittings museum as Ko-Mino menuki and Waki-Goto kozuka.

 

So good opinions and interesting.

 

Now how about the kogai?

 

The deer are apparently dasher and dancer. I think though actually there is some story about deer crossing a river that this applies to.

 

[Pete Klein]

I would say Ko Kinko or Kyo Kinko, possibly Waki Goto, but I sort of doubt it. Never know with these things. The theme is too spread out along the jita to be Shirobei Goto / Ko Goto but of course this is just my take on it. These Fittings Museum sets often have questionable attributions to today's thinking but are all of good to great quality. Many were broken up and sold as individual items as can be seen in the past sales catalogs of some of the major Japanese dealers. As they were married sets it really wasn't of great concern. I happen to have the set opposite this one in the Mito Koro Shu book, along with several kogai from the collection.

 

PS: I love the menuki! LOL

[Darcy]

Also bonus points if you can see the metaphor. This one I feel reliable about and the metaphor is great but you need to really connect the dots.

[John A Stuart]

Shika, deer are synonomous with longevity, the flow of water the passage of time and the waterwheel the wheel of eternal rebirth and if you count the paddles or spokes the twelve nidana. John

[Curran]

Hmmm. After seeing the backs on these menuki, I thought they were ko-Goto.

I say No to 'ko-mino'.

 

Learning Goto is a deep rabbit-hole to go down, and I have much further to go now that I've stuck my neck in the last year or so.

Peter has a solid many years more Goto learning than I do. I might challenge his kantei in some other schools, but not in this area.

 

I understand his Kaga Goto call, but am not convinced. I might feel differently after getting out the large o'book of Kaga Kinko Taikan.

 

I had a futakoromono of Maeda mon in a fitted box set. Sent if for shinsa, and they split it on me: gave the menuki a Kaga-kinko paper and the kozuka a Yoshioka paper.

To this day I don't undertand and wonder 'Wassup NBTHK?'. I understand the Yoshioka thoughts, but to this day still think it Kaga Goto work. Maybe I will feel differently in a few years.

Even among this higher end stuff, opinion changes from decade to decade. Learned opinion may change, or it may simply be the changing of the judges.

[Curran]

Ps. Is John right?

Themewise I just saw some springtime Love is in the Air and "Hello my name is Randy Buck..."

[John A Stuart]

Randy buck, indeed. At least he is not going Stag and is eyeing a plump be Hind. John

[Pete Klein]

I'll stick with the menuki... :|

[Curran]

Randy buck, indeed. At least he is not going Stag and is eyeing a plump be Hind. John

 

Yep. Definitely some Scottish blood in you. Somewhere in that genetic stew are a few genes given to expressing themselves in the brain as producing and enjoying certain types of humor.

Sadly, I have those exact same genes.