Joshin Kozuka
後藤乗真
3rd Main Line Goto Master (1512 - 1562)
NBTHK Hozon
Joshin was the 3rd mainline Goto master. He was the oldest son of Sojo, the second mainline master. He is ranked as Meiko 名工 by Wakayama (the highest rank) and there are over 80 Juyo tosogu by him. Joshin was a Samurai. He was highly skilled at making tosogu but only pursued this when not engaged in military duties. He had received gifts from the Emperor Go-Nara (1527-1557) in recognition of his bravery. Joshin died on the battlefield at Okaki in 1562 fighting for Oda Nobunaga. The theme here is holly leaves. Since before the Kamakura period, the evergreen Holly (Hiragi) has been believed to offer protection from evil spirits. A welcome motif for a warrior on the battlefield. The workmanship here perfectly displays Joshin's mannerisms. Specifically, that the main motif is oversized and tall, with gold uttori, use of silver (in this case inlay) and deep "raven black" wet looking shakudo. The nanako is worn smooth from use in some areas and some of the uttori has surrendered to the centuries. The skill and charm of this kozuka combine to be very enchanting. It should be noted that this Joshin kozuka has passed Hozon without the reservation of "den". A rare and desirable "textbook" example.
$3450
SALE PRICE $2950
