The kimono is the quintessential traditional Japanese dress. This piece of clothing, which means ki - 'to dress' and mono - 'thing', lacked any pockets. The need to transport personal items was solved through boxes or bags, called sagemono which suspended from the obi, a waist sash or band.Several types of sagemono were developed, considering the specific objects or materials they contained.
The inrō, used only by men, emerged at the end of the sixteenth century and is one such type of sagemono.Initially created to store a stamp and its ink pad, they were also used for the transportation of therapeutic herbs.They consist of small overlapping compartments which fit together perfectly, creating a homogeneous whole and are held together by a textile cord or himo of which ends are joined by a bead or ojime that allows the various compartments to be kept tightly closed.A netsuke, which functions as a toggle and is fitted with a hole (himotoshi) where the ends of the cord are joined, allowing it to be suspended from the obi, the waist sash which fastens the kimono.
The inrō quickly became an accessory for highlighting social rank, which lead patrons to commission them from the most creative and ingenious craftsmen, as to obtain the most precious and unique inrō, both in terms of materials, types, decoration and iconography. Usually coated with lacquer, they become more precious with gold and mother-of-pearl decoration. Regardless of their excessive price, the wealthiest aristocrats would have several inrō, chosen according to the time of year and the occasion.Netsuke, not unlike the ojime and the inrō, evolved over time. From their decoration, we may recognize some important aspects of Japanese daily-life, which adds a significant documentary and historical value to them.
The production of inrō and netsuke was enormous during the Edo period (1615-1868) and, with the westernization of clothing during the twentieth century, became attractive objects to the most attentive collectors, reaching high prices in the art market.Namban inrōWood, lacquer, gold and mother of pearlJapan, 17th century (first half)Height: 10.0 cmF965Rare Namban inrō in lacquered wood. The box, prismatic in shape and oval in section, comprises four overlapping compartments or dan that fit together, two of them divided in two, closes with a similarly-shaped lid.Both the inside and outside of the inrō is coated with dark brown to black lacquer, a colour that was obtained by adding coal powder or iron pigment to the urushi - the purified sap of the tree Rhus vernicifera.
On this black ground, the master craftsman applied the maki-e with sprinkled gold forming the design, further enriched by the application of mother-of-pearl tesserae or raden, of bluish-green tint known as aogai.As with other Namban objects, in this case intended solely for domestic consumption and mirroring the allure for the European newcomers, known as the 'Barbarians of the South', or nanban-jin, this precious and rare inrō show us the somewhat caricatural and stereotypical depiction of the Portuguese in their typical costume towards the end of the sixteenth-century: doublets with their ruff collars, wide pantaloons known as bombachas, capes (ferragoulos) and brim hats of various types.On one side of the inrō we may see three figures, most likely clergymen, one of which with his head bowed and hidden by his hat; on the other side there are two figures, probably laymen, engaging in conversation.The present piece is not only rare piece but of great iconographic interest, of which we know only two matching examples, one from the collection of the Musée national des arts asiatiques - Guimet, in Paris.