Mumei Attributed to Kyo Kinko Grape design Menuki
無銘　京金工　葡萄図目貫
Item TS019

  • Period: Edo Period

  • Designation: Hozon

  • Signature: Mumei Attributed to Kyo Kinko 無銘　京金工

  • Material: Solid gold construction

  • Fuchi Kashira: Grape design
    ‍ ‍    葡萄図目貫

    • Menuki Measurements：(a) 3.9cm x 1.85cm

      ‍ ‍ (b) 3.85cm x 1.85cm

Price: ¥ 350,000

ORDER

This elegant pair of menuki features a finely rendered grape motif and has been attributed by the NBTHK to the Kyō Kinkō tradition. The menuki are unsigned and are particularly notable for their solid gold construction, with the NBTHK certificate specifically recording the material as kin mukuji. Rather than relying upon surface gilding, the forms themselves are fashioned from solid gold, giving the set both a luxurious appearance and a considerable sense of quality.

The grapes, leaves, vines, and curling tendrils are rendered through katachibori, a sculptural technique in which the metal is worked into the three dimensional form of the subject. Despite their small size, the menuki display considerable depth and detail, with overlapping leaves and clusters of grapes creating a rich and naturalistic composition.

Grapes were a popular decorative subject in Japanese art, admired for the graceful form of their trailing vines and abundant fruit. The motif is traditionally associated with abundance, fertility, prosperity, and the continuation of successive generations, making it particularly suitable for decorative objects intended to convey auspicious meaning.

The menuki are attributed to Kyō Kinkō, referring to the tradition of skilled soft metal craftsmen working in Kyoto. Kyoto was an important centre of refined metalwork throughout the Edo period, and Kyō Kinkō works are admired for their sophisticated designs, precise carving, and elegant treatment of classical and natural subjects.