Japanese Inro

Inro is a fashionable element of Japanese culture that stems from the existence of kimonos in historical Japanese society. Japanese kimonos, without pockets, lacked the ability to hold the change or other belongings of the wearer. Inro, compartmented boxes, were developed in reaction to the need to carry medicines, money, seals, and other belongings. Inro are hung from a rope strung under the obi of a kimono and held in place by a netsuke. An ojime bead below the obi, but above the inro, keeps all the compartments in place.

The inro itself consists of many compartments that nest into each other. A cord that is laced into either side of the compartments holds it together. Inro can be made of wood, lacquerware, metal, ivory, or even coral. Though they were originally created for a very utilitarian purpose, artists later used the inro as a surface for creative expression.

Quick Facts

• It is not unusual to see motifs from paintings, poems, or allegories carved or painted onto the surface of inro. Simple images such as irises among bridges or waves on a shore are part of greater well-known stories and therefore evoke strong feelings of longing, melancholy, and love
• Inro were primarily worn by Japanese men, unlike the modern-day women's purse
• Inro were later indicators of wealth. In the 16th century, they were mostly utilitarian, but by the 18th century, inro were mostly decorative and were only worn by samurai and other elite members of society