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, such as this example, are rectangular with gently curving sides. This inro is decorated with Bugaku masks. Bugaku is stylised Japanese dance that was performed in court circles along with Gagaku, or stylised music.
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 Toxicodendron vernicifluum that grows mainly in East Asia. After processing, it is applied in many thin layers to a base material. This example is carried out in takamakie ('high sprinkled picture') lacquer. Makie ('sprinkled picture') is the most characteristic of Japanese lacquer techniques. It is a generic term for a number of related techniques. They all make use of gold, silver or coloured powders that are sprinkled on to wet lacquer before it hardens. The craft of lacquering, as well as making inro bodies, is highly complex, time-consuming and expensive.