Inrô

This is an inrō: a small case traditionally carried by Japanese men, containing money, medicine, or their personal stamp. It was made by a member of the Kajikawa family: a dynasty who produced lacquer art for over 300 years. The quality of this piece is exceptional. It reproduces a famous print by the artist Utamoro (1753–1806) with two ama (Japanese female pearl divers). Various techniques have been combined on the case, including sections of carved ivory inlay (zōgan). It has a netsuke: a small piece used as a counterweight when hanging the case from a belt. This netsuke is in the form of a typical wicker basket used by ama divers for collecting mollusks and pearls from the seabed.