Inro thumbnail 1
Inro thumbnail 2
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Inro

ca. 1990 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The inro is a tiered container that was traditionally worn by men only. Since the traditional Japanese garment, the kimono, had no pockets, Japanese men first used the inro to carry daily necessities. It later became simply a costly fashion accessory and status symbol. When Japanese men adopted European dress, they thought the inro was old fashioned and no longer useful. From the late 1800s Japanese men gradually stopped using it, and the complex skills needed to make inro were lost. The lacquer artist Unryuan made this example around 1990. He spent several years of research and experiment to rediscover the lost methods of inro production.
Here he has used a lacquer technique known as sumi-togidashie (an ink picture brought out by polishing). This imitates the brushstrokes of a painting. He has decorated the two sides to convey day and night. One side shows a landscape scene in the sun in gold lacquer. You can see figures on the bridge and a fishing boat in the water. The reverse shows the same scene at night under the moon in silver lacquer, with no figures.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Inro
  • Ojime
  • Storage Box
Materials and techniques
Gold, silver and black lacquer
Brief description
Japan, modern crafts, studio, lacquer; Inro, silver, gold and black lacquer, landscape by day and night, signed Unryuan, ca.1990
Dimensions
  • Height: 9.0cm
  • Width: 6.3cm
  • Depth: 2.0cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
(1) Makers's mark 2) Signature; Japanese; Chinese characters; on base)
Translation
artist's name
Subject depicted
Summary
The inro is a tiered container that was traditionally worn by men only. Since the traditional Japanese garment, the kimono, had no pockets, Japanese men first used the inro to carry daily necessities. It later became simply a costly fashion accessory and status symbol. When Japanese men adopted European dress, they thought the inro was old fashioned and no longer useful. From the late 1800s Japanese men gradually stopped using it, and the complex skills needed to make inro were lost. The lacquer artist Unryuan made this example around 1990. He spent several years of research and experiment to rediscover the lost methods of inro production.
Here he has used a lacquer technique known as sumi-togidashie (an ink picture brought out by polishing). This imitates the brushstrokes of a painting. He has decorated the two sides to convey day and night. One side shows a landscape scene in the sun in gold lacquer. You can see figures on the bridge and a fishing boat in the water. The reverse shows the same scene at night under the moon in silver lacquer, with no figures.
Collection
Accession number
FE.551:1 to 3-1992

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Record createdMarch 6, 2003
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