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.
From the 1700s onwards, many more artists signed the inro they made. This example is by Shibata Zeshin (1807-91), one of the most talented and renowned lacquer workers of the 19th century. He was head of a successful workshop with an enormous output. This inro shows Daikou, one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune. Here he is smoking a pipe, while a mouse peeps out from a window. Zeshin sometimes re-used or adapted a popular design. There are several versions of this one.