Every so often a box fools everyone who’s handled it. This one came to me looking like a tote full of empty jewelry boxes — my picker thought the same. Tucked down inside was this: a tidy coil of cream cord with a little Japanese maker’s tag.
It turned out to be koto-ito — strings for the koto, the 13-string Japanese zither. The seal reads 常盤 (Tokiwa), a known maker, and the “17.5” is the traditional monme weight gauge. Modern Tetron (polyester), clean and supple.
Thirteen lengths, all the one 17.5 gauge — so it’s good spare/replacement stock for anyone who plays in that gauge, rather than a full graded set. If you play the koto, or teach someone who does, you’ll know how nice it is to not have to hunt these down.
$30 for the coil. Message us here or call the shop at 778-708-0454 to hold it — and please pass it along to anyone who plays.
Leslie
778-708-0454
The Pound & the Provenance
7791 Steveston Highway
(north east corner of No. 3 Road and Steveston Highway)
Richmond, BC, Canada
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Please Note: I am not an appraiser, a silversmith or a gemologist. I am an antiques dealer. A generalist with a love for things with a bit of age. This page was written with the help of an AI. I had a stroke, four years ago, and AI is helping me to do better than I would have. Nothing here is false, everything here is true. I hope you enjoy it and please leave a message.
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