Precious Containers

Let’s talk about what this object is: it is a Japanese inrō, a small lacquer box made up of stacked compartments, traditionally worn by Japanese men. Inrō started being crafted around the end of the 16th century; an adoption of the Chinese custom of wearing incense containers around one’s waist. Inrō were worn by men, hanging from a sash worn around the waist (obi), with a toggle (netsuke) placed at the end of the inro’s chord which stopped the container from slipping. As suggested by the name, written with the two characters for the words “seal” and “basket” 印籠, inrō were originally used to carry personal seals and seal inks, but by the 17th century they had become popular for carrying small medicines. Eventually, with the development of a wealthy urban culture in the Edo Period (1603-1868) they started being worn as fashionable accessories, valued more for their style and beauty rather than their practical use.

Inrō were made of lacquered wood or paper: lacquer, in Japanese called urushi (漆) is a coating made from the sap of the lacquer tree Toxicodendron vernicifluum, which makes objects water-resistant and long lasting. Furthermore, throughout the centuries, Japanese craftspeople developed beautiful decorative techniques using lacquer and precious materials such as gold and silver. Lacquer decoration necessitated immeasurable skill by the craftspeople and great amounts of time, as lacquer was applied in layers, and each layer needed to dry before the next could be applied. The resulting objects were sturdy, beautiful, and precious. These decorative techniques were used to decorate the inrō: in the case of our object we can see a design in colorful pigments on a golden background, which, as we saw in the previous step, depicts a Portuguese man. But there is more, as we will see in the next steps of this story.Sources: Andrew J. Pejarik, Japanese Lacquer 1600-1900: Selections from the Charles A. Greenfield Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1980