Inro thumbnail 1
Inro thumbnail 2
+2
images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Japan, Room 45, The Toshiba Gallery

Inro

1865 (made)
Artist/Maker
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.
This inro is part of a unique set of 12 calendar inro by Shibata Zeshin, each representing a different month of the year. All 12 inro are of a different shape and size, while the decoration is carried out in different lacquer techniques.
Zeshin usually referred to a particular month by depicting some aspect of a popular or religious festival that took place at that time. This inro representing the twelfth month depicts Ebisu and Daikoku, two of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune. As the patrons of merchants and commerce, they were though to ensure prosperity and an abundance of food in the coming year. This inro, moreover, is in the form of a sheath inro. This type of inro separates into two pieces, an inner body and an outer sheath. This can be seen as representing the old and the new year. The outer sheath in this example is in the form of a window of a thatched dwelling. Through the window, the viewer can get a glimpse of the two gods, a clever device. From the 1700s onwards, many artists signed the inro they made. This example is by Shibata Zeshin (1807-91), one of the most talented and renowned lacquer artists of the 19th century. He was head of a successful workshop with an enormous output.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Gold, silver, black and red hiramakie and takamakie lacquer on a gold lacquer ground 題目:大黒様恵比寿様(仮) W303-1922  寸法:外96×61×22 中96×50×17 <外> 表に竹格子窓、裏に鬼を配し、竹格子窓の内側に恵比寿、大黒を描く 窓の竹格子は左から ① 弁柄の地塗りに金蒔き ② 弁柄の地塗りに金蒔き、黒塗り込み ③ 朱漆の地塗りに金蒔き、朱塗り込み ④ 朱漆の地塗りに金蒔き 窓左の柱は貝置き、漆上げの後に金と銀(少量)を蒔く 鬼の肌は朱蒔き、服は黄、黒、弁柄(少量)を蒔いて表す <中> 表に大黒様と恵比寿様を描く 金地に大黒様、恵比寿様、鬼をそれぞれ炭粉、錆上げ等による高蒔絵で表す 恵比寿様の烏帽子は黒乾漆この石目蒔き 顔は金地、口は朱金、ひげは呂色漆の付描き、竿は金の石目地に素掘り 袖は金鈖、黄、黒、赤(少量)の顔料を、袴及び杯は金鈖、弁柄、黄の顔料を蒔いて研ぎ上げる 鯛は朱金、徳利は銀鈖、黄、黒の粉と銀切金 大黒様の烏帽子は弁柄、黒、金、銀 顔は金地、口は朱金、着物は金、銀、朱乾漆粉、黒乾漆粉 袋は金鈖、黄、黒、朱(少量)の顔料を混合して蒔く 小槌は金鈖、朱の下付けに薄貝 内側は梨地(3~4号)、合口及び上縁は金
Brief description
Inro depicting Ebisu and Daikoku seen through a window, in gold, silver, black and red hiramakie and takamakie on a gold lacquer ground, by Shibata Zeshin, dated 1865
Physical description
Gold, silver, black and red hiramakie and takamakie lacquer on a gold lacquer ground
Dimensions
  • Height: 10.2cm
  • Width: 7.6cm
  • Depth: 1.3cm
Style
Credit line
Pfungst Gift
Subject depicted
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.
This inro is part of a unique set of 12 calendar inro by Shibata Zeshin, each representing a different month of the year. All 12 inro are of a different shape and size, while the decoration is carried out in different lacquer techniques.
Zeshin usually referred to a particular month by depicting some aspect of a popular or religious festival that took place at that time. This inro representing the twelfth month depicts Ebisu and Daikoku, two of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune. As the patrons of merchants and commerce, they were though to ensure prosperity and an abundance of food in the coming year. This inro, moreover, is in the form of a sheath inro. This type of inro separates into two pieces, an inner body and an outer sheath. This can be seen as representing the old and the new year. The outer sheath in this example is in the form of a window of a thatched dwelling. Through the window, the viewer can get a glimpse of the two gods, a clever device. From the 1700s onwards, many artists signed the inro they made. This example is by Shibata Zeshin (1807-91), one of the most talented and renowned lacquer artists of the 19th century. He was head of a successful workshop with an enormous output.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
W.303-1922

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Record createdFebruary 13, 2006
Record URL
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