Inro with camellia blossom

Inro with camellia blossom is held by Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe (Germany). Description supplied by the holding institution: The slightly bulbous, curved inrô is in four parts and features a concealed cord channel. On both sides, a full camellia blossom and an unopened camellia bud with leaves and branches are rendered in gold with red lacquer. »Inrô« are small containers that were used in Japan initially as seal cases and later primarily as medicine cases. Samurai, wealthy merchants, artists, and craftsmen wore them hanging freely from wide sash belts (= »obi«) due to their pocketless, traditional clothing. They usually consist of several compartments stacked on top of one another and held together by a silk cord. At the end of the cord is a toggle carved predominantly from ivory or wood with two holes for the cord channel, the so-called »netsuke«. This serves as a counterweight when fastening the inrô to the sash. Literature: Inro: Das Ding am Gürtel. Japanische Medizindöschen aus der Sammlung Heinz und Else Kress, ed. by… The collection record gives measurements height: 10.1 cm, width: 5.7 cm, depth: 2.8 cm (total). Published through Europeana; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.