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Inro
Unknown - Enlarge image
Inro
- Place of origin:
Japan (made)
- Date:
18th century (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown (maker)
- Materials and Techniques:
Gold, black and silver lacquer
- Credit Line:
Alexander Gift
- Museum number:
W.354-1916
- Gallery location:
Japan, room 45, case 8
The inro is a tiered container used by men only, because the traditional Japanese garment, the kimono, had no pockets. From the late 16th century onwards, inro were worn suspended from the sash by a silk cord and netsuke (toggle). The inro was originally designed to hold the individual’s seal and ink or a supply of medicines. But it rapidly became a costly fashion accessory with little or no practical function.
Lacquer was most commonly used in the manufacture of inro, because it was highly suitable for storing medicines. The greatest achievements of Japanese lacquerwork are in the makie (sprinkled picture) technique. The main types can be distinguished by the height to which the decoration is raised above the ground. From about the 1750s century onwards, craftsmen increasingly sought imaginative and inventive decoration. The composition of this inro makes use of surprise elements. At first glance, it appears to portray bush-clover (hagi). On closer inspection, however, two black dots are visible, the eyes of a hare whose body then becomes apparent.
