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19th Century Japanese Signed Bone Inro with Birds and Erotic Scenes

$340List Price

About the Item

Gloriously Naughty 19th century Japanese bone Inro……from circa 1860. The inro is made of 4 interlocking sections……held togerther with a draw-string and a bone bauble. On one side there is a carved an painted scene of birds and foliage…..on the other side……well lets say……a Happy Couple in all their matrimonial glory !!! LOL Believe it or not but……it is the erotic carving that makes this inro highly prized !!!! Signed on the base. Very rare and highly collectible !! Provenance: Bought at Auction in Ireland. Inro: An inro (???) is a traditional Japanese case for holding small objects, suspended from the obi. The term inro derives from the Sino-Japanese roots in (from Middle Chinese 'jin ? "printed") and ro (MC luwng ? "cage"). Because traditional Japanese robes lacked pockets, objects were often carried by hanging them from the obi, or sash, in containers known as sagemono (a Japanese generic term for a hanging object attached to a sash). Most sagemono were created for specialized contents, such as tobacco, pipes, writing brush and ink, but the type known as inro was suitable for carrying anything small. Consisting of a stack of tiny, nested boxes, inro were most commonly used to carry identity seals and medicine. The stack of boxes is held together by a cord that is laced through cord runners down one side, under the bottom, and up the opposite side. The ends of the cord are secured to a netsuke, a kind of toggle that is passed between the sash and pants and then hooked over the top of the sash to suspend the inro. An ojime, or bead, is provided on the cords between the inro and netsuke to hold the boxes together. This bead is slid down the two suspension cords to the top of the inro to hold the stack together while the inro is worn, and slid up to the netsuke when the boxes need to be unstacked to access their contents. Inro were made of a variety of materials, including wood, ivory, bone and lacquer. Lacquer was also used to decorate inro made of other materials. Inro, like the ojime and netsuke they were associated with, evolved over time from strictly utilitarian articles into objects of high art and immense craftsmanship.

Dimensions:
Height: 2.25 in (5.72 cm)Width: 1.6 in (4.07 cm)Depth: 0.75 in (1.91 cm)
Style:
Japonisme (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Bone,Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
Japan
Period:
Late 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1860-1880
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Near Mint.
Seller Location:
Dallas, TX
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU3978112561521

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