Mumei (unsigned), Golden dragon motif in Taka zogan technique, on a Nanako (fish eggs) background. Gold back with Nekogaki (cat's claw) pattern.

Dimensions: Length 9.71 x height 1.5 x thickness 1.11 cm / weight 29g

This “Hai Ryu” rampant dragon pattern closely resembles the style of artist Goto Mitsutaka (circa 1760).

The Goto school was created by Yujo Goto 後藤祐乗 (1440-1512), a goldsmith from Mino province at the end of the Muromachi period. Yujo Goto worked for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. He was then in charge of gold production and management. It seems that Yujo's ancestor in the Heian period was a court nobleman called Fujiwara No Tadabumi of the Fujiwara clan, a prestigious and highly respected lineage in Japan.

Goto school productions are known for the grainy background texture called Nanako, resembling caviar roe. They also worked on a base of Shakudo metal, a mixture of follow and a few percent of gold, then patinated in a slightly bluish black.

Due to their proximity to the Shogun, the Goto family worked mainly for the high-ranking Bushi.