Case (Inrō) with Painting of Courtesan at Night (obverse); House Gate (reverse)
19th century
Medium
Roiro (waxen) lacquer with sprinkled hiramkie lacquer and togidashi sprinkled and polished lacquer; Interior: nashiji and fundame; Ojime: silver shibuichi lacquer bead decorated with design of castle grounds; Netsuke: carved wooden sleeping goose
Dimensions
2 11/16 x 2 1/16 x 15/16 in. (6.8 x 5.3 x 2.4 cm)
Classification
Inrō
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Accession Number
36.100.250
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *inrō* (lacquered case), crafted by Shibata Zeshin in 19th-century Japan during the Edo period (1615–1868), exemplifies the pinnacle of lacquer artistry. *Inrō* were medicine or accessory cases worn suspended from the sash of a kimono by samurai, merchants, and elites, secured with an *ojime* bead and *netsuke*. Zeshin, a master innovator, elevated lacquerware to rival painting, blending realism with technical virtuosity. Here, the compact case (just under 3 inches tall) features a roiro (waxen black) lacquer ground adorned with intricate sprinkled *hiramkie* and polished *togid...
About the Artist
Shibata Zeshin · 1807–1891
Japanese, 1807–1891