Inro, Netsuke and Ojime thumbnail 1
Inro, Netsuke and Ojime thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Inro, Netsuke and Ojime

Place of origin

The inro is a container made up of tiers. Japanese men used them because the traditional Japanese garment, the kimono, had no pockets. From the late 1500s onwards, Japanese men wore the inro suspended from their sash by a silk cord and a netsuke (toggle). They originally used it to hold their seal and ink or a supply of medicines. However, it rapidly became a costly fashion accessory of little or no practical use. Most inro are rectangular with gently curving sides.
Lacquer was most commonly used in the manufacture of inro since it was highly suitable for storing medicines. Lacquer is the sap from the tree Rhus verniciflua that grows mainly in East Asia. After processing, it is applied in many thin layers to a base material. The craft of lacquering, as well as making inro bodies, is highly complex, time-consuming and expensive.
From the 1700s onwards, many artists signed the inro they made. This example is signed Tsuchida Soetsu (1660-1745?), aged 71. Soetsu was a follower of the versatile artist and craftsman, Hon’ami Koetsu (1558-1637). Koetsu pioneered a distinctive style of lacquerwork that made use of relatively straightforward techniques of black and gold lacquer, with inlays of shell and lead. His designs are usually in silhouette with little or no interior detail. This inro is decorated with tengu, mythical creatures that are part bird and part human. It is carried out in black and gold lacquer, with inlays of shell only.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Inro
  • Netsuke
  • Ojime
Brief description
Inro, netsuke and ojime, the inro depicting tengu in black and gold lacquer inlaid with pearl-shell, signed Tsuchida Soetsu, aged 71, 18th century
Style
Credit line
Pfungst Gift
Summary
The inro is a container made up of tiers. Japanese men used them because the traditional Japanese garment, the kimono, had no pockets. From the late 1500s onwards, Japanese men wore the inro suspended from their sash by a silk cord and a netsuke (toggle). They originally used it to hold their seal and ink or a supply of medicines. However, it rapidly became a costly fashion accessory of little or no practical use. Most inro are rectangular with gently curving sides.
Lacquer was most commonly used in the manufacture of inro since it was highly suitable for storing medicines. Lacquer is the sap from the tree Rhus verniciflua that grows mainly in East Asia. After processing, it is applied in many thin layers to a base material. The craft of lacquering, as well as making inro bodies, is highly complex, time-consuming and expensive.
From the 1700s onwards, many artists signed the inro they made. This example is signed Tsuchida Soetsu (1660-1745?), aged 71. Soetsu was a follower of the versatile artist and craftsman, Hon’ami Koetsu (1558-1637). Koetsu pioneered a distinctive style of lacquerwork that made use of relatively straightforward techniques of black and gold lacquer, with inlays of shell and lead. His designs are usually in silhouette with little or no interior detail. This inro is decorated with tengu, mythical creatures that are part bird and part human. It is carried out in black and gold lacquer, with inlays of shell only.
Bibliographic reference
Julia Hutt, Japanese Inro, B&A Publications, 1997; plate 104
Collection
Accession number
W.181:1 to 3-1922

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Record createdFebruary 8, 2006
Record URL
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