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 third month is in the form of a box for the Shell Game (kaiawase). This was a game with various versions in which the participants tried to match up pairs of clam shells with related paintings. Since this game was widely played by women or older girls, it also alludes to the Girls’ Festival (hinamatsuri), the most important festival of that month. Zeshin’s allusion to the third month is further underlined by the depiction of blossoms on the box, since cherry blossoms were in bloom at this time.
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.