KINKO KANTEI HIKKETSU
( The Key To The Appraisal Of Metal Artisans )
by NODA (Shirobei) Yoshiaki
$150.00


Kinko Kantei Hikketsu, or 'the secrets of judging works in gold', containing minute analyses of what are known as the 'hiden' (secret formula) of the first fifteen Goto masters. It is a compilation of interest, as showing the lovingly appreciative attention bestowed upon such objects by Japanese connoisseurs. But almost everything is based upon the dragon, and certainly an exceptional instinct is required for undertaking a careful study of that fabulous and repellent monster, from the contours of his curves and the angles of his claws to the length of his antenna, the set of his ears, and the section of his horns. If an estimate of the Goto family's work were derived from the contents of this two volume set alone, it would be necessary to endorse the verdict which accuses them of classical severity and narrow range of motive.
10 7/16" x 7 1/8".

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