梶川文竜斎作 宝船蒔絵印籠|Inrō with Treasure Boat
19th century
Medium
Gold and black lacquer and nashiji ground with gold and silver hiramaki-e, red lacquer, and mother-of-pearl inlay Netsuke: kingfisher; carved ivory Ojime: Chinese children; porcelain (Kutani ware
Dimensions
3 7/16 x 2 1/16 x 13/16 in. (8.7 x 5.3 x 2 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
36.100.183
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of Edo-period Japan with this stunning *Inrō with Treasure Boat* by master lacquer artist Kajikawa Bunryūsai crafted in the 19th. An *inrō* was a portable, multi-tiered case used by samurai and merchants to carry medicines, seals, or tobacco—suspended from the sash (*obi*) via a cord secured by a *netsuke* toggle and *ojime* bead. This diminutive treasure, measuring just 3 7/16 x 2 1/16 x 13/16 inches, exemplifies the era's obsession with exquisite personal accessories amid Japan's peaceful prosperity (1615–1868). Bunryūsai's genius shines in the intricate *makie* ...