Inro, Ojime and Netsuke

mid 18th century

In early modern Japan, men suspended small containers (inrō) for carrying personal items (such as herbs and seals) over the sashes of their robes using a toggle (netsuke) connected by silk cords held by a fastener (ojime). All these items were made of a diversity of materials, were often elaborately carved and decorated, and offered the wearer an opportunity for self-expression. Inrō were commonly commissioned and might feature designs made or inspired by leading artists of the day.

Case (inro): Wood, lacquer, gold, silver, mother-of-pearl inlay; Fastener (ojime): Wood, lacquer; Toggle (netsuke): Silver alloy filigree with inlaid enamel

3 3/8 x 2 x 1 in. (8.57 x 5.08 x 2.54 cm)

Dr. Duncan MacTavish Fuller

55.52

Provenance: Courtright House Inc.,; Duncan MacTavish Fuller; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 1955

Now on view at the Asian Art Museum

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Spring and Summer in Japan,
February 28 - October 13, 2002.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Fall and Winter in Japan, October 22, 2002 - February 23, 2003.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Refined Harmony: Decorative Arts from the Edo Period, March 7, 2003 - March 23, 2004.

Published ReferencesFuller, Richard E. Japanese Art in the Seattle Art Museum: An Historical Sketch. Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1960 ("Presented in commemoration of the Hundredth Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and the United States of America"), no. 191.

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