EZO KOZUKA
Serious Inquiries Only
"Presented here is a great example of Ezo kozuka, dating Late Kamakura to Nambokucho Period (14th c.). The decorative plate is executed in repousse technique, and has been added to the housing. It has since slipped-out by roughly 1.5mm - the gap can be seen on the extreme right side adjacent to the housing. Substrate metal of the decorative plate is silver, and the gilding is gold. The housing is shibuichi, gilded with gold. The lack of margins to the decorative plate suggests it was once larger, and has been cut-down to fit the present housing. The motif is dynamic and lacks the geometry of typical Nambokucho and Muromachi pieces. A great example of a retrofitted piece." (Long)

'MON SOJO'
$4100.00
Provenance: Elliott D. Long

Graceful old kozuka attributed to Goto Sojo (??) (1461 - 1538), the 2nd mainline master of the Shirobei branch of the Goto family of sword furniture makers. The attribution is given by Goto Jujo (Mitsutada)H 02267.0. This work is the type that are always highly sought after, becoming cornerstones of any serious tosogu collection. This work is very delicate in the highest grade shakudo, with a deep, purple black patina. In profile, the boars are gold menuki that were created by Jujo and later mounted in high relief. The color contrast can be quite striking. (Long)

'GOTO JUJO'
  $3000.00
"A very fine shakudo nanako base metal depicting figures of a hen and curtain. Attributed by NBTHK Hozon dated 2010." (Haynes & Long)

'GOTO KAIJO'
  $2000.00
"Presented here is an excellent kozuka with exquisite craftsmanship, and good design.

Third master of the Hachirobei line. Design of landscape with geese.
See Haynes Index H02372.0." (Haynes & Long)

'GOTO MITSUKATA' (HOJO)
  $2200.00
"A very fine shakudo nanako base metal decorated with betrothal gifts.
This is HOJO (H 01596.0) who was the 16th main line Goto master. He is considered the best Goto master after Jujo. His subjects were very "modern" and not many are in the classic style of the family school, though on request he could work in the style of any of his ancestors." (Haynes & Long)

'NAKAGO MITSUNAGA'
  $1600.00
"A Kotzuka of great richness depicting a phoenix. It is signed: 'NAKAGO MITSUNAGA' & Kao. Seems to be old Goto which leads to SHUNJO, H08827.0. Also reference H05288.0 MITSUNAGA." (Haynes & Long)

'RYUSO HOGEN' & Kao
$5000.00
"Mei: 'RYUSO HOGEN'. This is Tanaka Kiyotoshi, born 1804, died 1876. He was a student of Goto Shojo and of Kono Haruaki. It has been confirmed that in 1824 he first used the Kiyotoshi signature. He later used the Toryusai name, later adopted by his many students. Toryusai was to become the name of the school of artists who worked in the Tanaka group style. In 1846 he was granted the title of HOGEN and began using many various art names. See H03368.0." (Haynes)

'SANSHU JU TOSHIHIDE'
$2600.00
Provenance: Elliott Long
"Lamp Lighter"
"Certified by NBTHK HOZON Tosogu, 'SANSHU JU TOSHIHIDE'"

'ISOBE MOCHITADA' & Kao
$2400.00
"A Kotzuka of gracefulness depicting three chicks.
Signed: 'ISOBE MOCHITADA' and Kao.
Refer to the following: Haynes Index H 05632.0. Henri Joly's Shosankenshu #473.

Attributed by the NBTHK as HOZON Tosogu." (Haynes)

Snow Cap FUJI-SAN
$1200.00
Provenance: Elliott Long
"This is a masterpiece of Kyoto metalwork, with a finely textured copper stone ground and a world heritage site Mt. Fuji depicted with superbly crafted high-carved quarter-width pattern inlay, silver-colored painting."

'MASUMI NOBUKATSU' & Kao
$1000.00
"Presented here is a masterful design of a Dragonfly at waters edge. Made in copper with shakudo back. The Dragonfly is done in shakudo with fine detail carving. Water highlighted with silver with gold lily pads along the shoreline. The nanako is extremely fine and precise." (Haynes)

'EIZUI'
$1000.00
"Shakudo high engraving, silver inlay of ocean spray, rough waves design. This is EIZUI of the Narita family working in Edo. He was a student of Kikugawa Muneyoshi Chobei. He specialized in elaborate carved designs that often covered the entire surface of work." (Long)

OTSUKI MITSUOKI (Seals)
$800.00
"Copper kozuka with carved design of an elephant and its trainer in low relief. With some gold inlay. The quality of the carving is very fine. The back side has gold strips as if the surface has been rubbed or cut from an overall gold plate. There is minor damage to the butt end of this piece that can be repaired. The bottom third has a large 'pot' seal of very good carving and below a Chinese style seal. These are the seals used by Otsuki Mitsuoki (H 05375.0) born 1766, died Aug. 15, 1834." (Haynes)

'HOSONO SOZAEMON MASAMORI'
  $900.00
"A Kozuka of shakudo depicting figures in a landscape with Mount Fuji in the distance. The mei reads... 'HOSONO SOZAEMON MASAMORI' . This prolific artist mostly made minute inlay of figures in various flush metals with surface carving. This is a first-class example of his work." (Haynes & Long)


9.80cm x 1.40cm

"SEN-JA MODE"  Kozuka
$2500.00
Provenance: Elliott Long.
N.B.T.H.K. Hozon attribution dated Heisei 17, 2005.
Hakogaki by Kubaro Yojoro dated February 2nd, 1944.

"A Kozuka of great elegance depicting a journey."

'YURAKUSAI SEKIBUN'
$1800.00
Provenance: Elliott Long

DAIKOKU. Since the 17th century, Daikoku has been most widely known as the Japanese god of wealth and farmers, although in earlier centuries he was considered a fierce protector deity. In Japan, artwork of this deity usually shows him wearing a hood and standing on bales of rice, carrying a large sack of treasure slung over his shoulder and holding a small magic mallet.

HIZEN
$500.00
Provenance: Elliott Long

A classic design representing the tachi style of fuchi and kashira. The body of the kozuka represents the 'ray skin' used under the wrap of the tsuka. The amount of work designing this representation was masterful.

'KANEYUKI'
$600.00
"Kozuka of dark shibuichi with low relief shishiaibori (as was being used by the Sugiura Joi school shortly before this time). The design is of Hotei with his bag and holding a fan, with some gold inlay. The carving is of very high quality. This example has some damage to the butt end and a large dent in the center of the back plate.
The back is signed, lower left, 'KANEYUKI' (H 02616.0). This is Hamano Kaneyuki, who was the second son of Hamano Shozui, the founder of the Hamano school." (Haynes)

'MINESHIGE'
$800.00
"Copper inlay falconry motif. Under Study." (Long)

'YASUCHIKA'
$1500.00
"He was prized as one of the Nara San Saku, and among them, he has left the most works. They are produced in a wide variety of ways, and the carefully selected materials harmonize well with the ingenious forms and rich patterns. In addition to pictorial and design-like designs, there are also designs based on historical events, and these are limited to techniques such as inlay, overglaze painting, sukidashi carving, flesh carving, high carving, hair carving, and katakiri carving." (Long)

'YASUCHIKA"
$1000.00
"" (Long)

'YASUCHIKA'   $2400.00
"This kozuka appears to be of shibuichi plate which now has a black lacquer surface that is probably original to the piece. The upper area is carved and inlaid with bold gold waves. The lower end is inlaid with an almost three dimensional mino-game, a sea turtle. The carapace of dark shibuichi and each section outlined in very fine silver wire flush inlay. The body is gold plate and carved in great detail. The reverse is carved with fine line "rain marks" following the vertical form of the plate.
Bottom right is the signature: 'YASUCHIKA' (see H 11104.0). This is the signature of the "First Yasuchika". (Haynes)

'TSUCHIYA MASACHIKA'   & Kao
$3000.00
Provenance: Elliott Long.
"A very fine shakudo base metal decorated with fowl in water with floating cherry blossoms.
This is TSUCHIYA YASUCHIKA using one of his many art names 'TSUCHIYA MASACHIKA'. This artist is known as the sixth Yasuchika, he is usually listed under his Masachika name that appears on most of his work. He was a prolific artist and a student of his father the fifth Yasuchika and of Hagiya Katsuhira and of Tanaka Kiyotoshi." (Long & Haynes)