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 are rectangular with gently curving sides. This example has a squared rectangular shape. Here, the cord passes through metal loops on either side of the body. Inro usually had hidden cord channels.
This is a rare early example that shows a Dutchman with a matchlock gun. Europeans arrived in Japan in 1543. The Japanese were fascinated by their physical appearance, their customs, their possessions and their superior technology. The matchlock guns of the Portuguese, for example, were the first firearms the Japanese had ever seen. This inro, made sometime during the 17th century, reflects these Western influences of the time. It also reflects an unusual combination of materials in keeping with the non-Japanese subject.