Inro

Inro
An is a traditional Japanese case for holding small objects, suspended from the (sash) worn around the waist when wearing a kimono. They are often highly decorated with various materials such as lacquer and various techniques such as , and are more decorative than other Japanese lacquerware.
Because traditional Japanese dress lacked pockets, objects were often carried by hanging them from the in containers known as (a hanging object attached to a sash). Most were created for specialized contents, such as tobacco, pipes, writing brush and ink, but the type known as is suitable for carrying small things, and was created in the Sengoku period (1467–1615) as a portable identity seal and medicine container for travel.
In the middle of the Edo period (1603–1868), became popular as men's accessories, and wealthy merchants of the and samurai classes collected often beautifully decorated with lacquer. As the technique developed from the late Edo period to the Meiji period (1868–1912) and the artistic value of increased, were no longer used as an accessory and came to be regarded as an art object for collection.
The term is a combination of the kanji for , which means a seal or stamp, and the kanji for , which means a basket.
Description
Consisting of a stack of tiny, nested boxes, were most commonly used to carry medicine. The stack of boxes is held together by a cord that is laced through cord runners down one side, under the bottom, and up the opposite side. The ends of the cord are secured to a , a kind of toggle that is passed between the sash and pants and then hooked over the top of the sash to suspend the . An bead is provided on the cords between the and to hold the boxes together. This bead is slid down the two suspension cords to the top of the to hold the stack together while the is worn, and slid up to the when the boxes need to be unstacked to access their contents.
are mostly made from paper, wood, metal, or ivory, with the most common material being paper. Paper are made by winding and hardening many layers of paper with lacquer; paper was a popular material for as unlike wood, it would not distort and crack over time.
are commonly decorated with lacquered designs, with the expensively produced featuring ivory inlay and metal foiling. Though and evolved out of a mostly decorative capacity, retained their functionality, having evolved from strictly utilitarian articles into objects of high art and immense craftsmanship.
For a period of time in the Edo period, was also used as a symbol of power. Today, among sumo referees, only of the higher ranks are allowed to equip .
Today, many are collected in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Because were popular among foreign collectors, there were few of the highest quality made from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period in Japan, but Masayuki Murata actively collected them from the 21st century, and today the Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum, which he manages, houses many of the highest quality .
Today, are made by a few craftsmen. The best lacquer technique from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period, especially the technique, was almost lost in the westernization of Japanese lifestyle. However, in 1985 lacquer craftsman set up his own studio and succeeded in recreating them. His lacquer works are collected in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, and are an object of collection for the world's wealthy. Nowadays, are rarely worn as kimono accessories, but there are collectors all over the world.
Gallery
See also
Sporran (Scottish)
References
Bushell, Raymond "The Handbook", Weatherhill, 2002.
"Legend in Japanese Art" by Henri L. Joly; 1908/1967; Charles E. Tuttle, Rutland VT;
External links
Netsuke: masterpieces from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains many examples of
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery
Fashion accessories
Japanese lacquerware
Japanese words and phrases
Japanese woodwork
Nested containers
Medicine storage containers