DAISHO SET OF GOTO ICHIJO FUCHI KASHIRA

Goto Ichijo was born in Kyoto in 1791 to the Shichiro'emon branch family of the Goto family. He worked for the court and shogunate and his work was, and still is, highly prized, and have been the subject of several museum exhibitions in Japan, including Tokyo National and the Kiyomizu Sannenzaka museum. This example is a daisho set of fuchi kashira, intended to be used on both the katana and wakizashi that a samurai would carry. They are signed "Goto Hokyo Ichijo Saku" on the fuchi. They are decorated with five petal cherry blossoms and maple leaves, with some falling petals and gold dots used to add life to the tsuba. Shakudo base with the florals executed in soft metals, including copper, gold, and silver, with golden two piece shitadome. Goto Ichijo is regarded as one of the best of his age, and made at least two sets of fittings for Emperors, including for one of the Masamune in the Imperial collection, and there are Tokubetsu Juyo work by him. He is considered to have revived the declining Goto family, and his work is absolutely outstanding. CONDITION: Excellent, with some extremely minor handling marks aacquired from age that do not detract. Box excellent with a some handling marks and dings. Fuchi both measure 3.9cm x 2.2cm and 1cm tall, while both kashira measure 3.5 x 1.9 and 8mm tall.