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 tenth month depicts a gong and striker. This probably alludes to the fact that this month was often referred to as kanna zuki, or the ‘month without gods’. This was partly because there were no festivals at the various shrines during this month. It was also partly because the gods were said to desert their shrines, being summoned to the great shrine of Izumo. There the tenth month was known as the ‘month with gods’. The gong on this inro may be interpreted as one to summon the gods to Izumo. It may also be interpreted as a gong to encourage their return to the local shrines.
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.