Maki-e inro with oxalis, threeleaf arrowhead and butterflies

Inrō, or decorative stacked pillboxes, could be called the symbol of the samurai dandy and Edo fashion. From the Edo period (1603-1868) through the Meiji (1868-1912) changing decorative trends informed the fashioning of inrō. The artisans who made them were highly skilled, and there are still many examples of maki-e (gold painted lacquer) inrō made by artists who worked for the Imperial Household (teishitsu i’in) like Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891) and Shirayama Shōsai (1853-1923).