Inro with crane

Inro with crane is held by Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe (Germany). Description supplied by the holding institution: The slightly convex, bulbous inrô is in three parts and features a concealed cord channel. On one side, against a black lacquer ground and amidst detailed plant decoration, a crane is presented. It stands on one leg with an open beak and wings spread wide. On the other side, a bamboo stalk is rendered, the leaves of which are partly inlaid in mother-of-pearl ("aogai"). "Inrô" are small containers that in Japan were initially used as seal boxes, and later primarily as medicine containers. Samurai, wealthy merchants, artists, and craftsmen wore them freely suspended from wide sashes (= "Obi") because of their pocketless, traditional clothing. They usually consist of several compartments stacked on top of each other and held together with 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 in the… The collection record gives measurements height: 5.3 cm, width: 6.3 cm, depth: 1.7 cm (total). Published through Europeana; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.