Here we have an absolutely beautiful kozuka from the mid-Edo period (circa 1700). As noted it was made by the branch of the Gotô who worked in Kaga Prefecture for the Maeda Daimyô family. It is made of shakudo and gold and depicts a mounted Samurai crossing a bridge with antagonists lying in wait under the bridge and in the water. Every detail of this kozuka is carved boldly in high relief and really comes alive when studied closely.
The scans below show the detail beautifully but there is no substitute for holding this in your hand under good light and enjoying it with a magnifying glass. It will give you hours of pleasure. This kozuka measures 3 7/8 inches by ½ inch in width. That equates to 9.7 cm by 1.5 cm.
The kozuka comes with NTHK papers from the Yoshikawa organization in Japan. The papers will be forwarded to the buyer upon receipt in a few months. It comes in a wooden box.
