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, more artists signed the inro they made.The Shibayama family began work in the late 1700s. From about 1850-1900, when this inro was made, the Shibayama style was fully developed. Typical Shibayama work is encrusted with tiny pieces of ivory, pearl-shell, tortoiseshell, horn and many other materials. These materials were often intricately carved or incised to produce the three-dimensional effect you can see here. Shibayama work often had a ground of ivory, wood or gold lacquer. The entire body of this inro is made of ivory, which the maker has decorated in a style that resembles carved lacquer. Shibayama work was particularly popular with European customers.