Japan
Inro with Netsuke nineteenth century
Wood, black and gold lacquer, amber, silk | 8.5 x 5.5 x 2.6 cm (largest part) | RCIN 107127
Inrō were worn suspended from the waist sash of a man’s kimono. Originally used as containers for medicine and seals, they also offered an opportunity for fashionable self-expression. The rat on this inrō’s toggle is the first animal in the East Asian zodiac calendar.
