Antique Japanese PaintedCeramicOjimes Beadwork WovenSilk Embroidery Inro
Located in Chicago, IL
This rare antique Edo-period (1615-1868) Japanese handmade inro is a curved lozenge-shaped hand-dyed woven-silk hard carrying-case container sheath that features intricate embroidery with rock-crystal or glass beadwork and thin leather-wrapped thread appliques. For its "Kimono Style" exhibition, TheMet museum noted: "the dying, weaving, and embroidery techniques for which Japan is famed reached their peak of artistic sophistication during the Edo period." On the burgundy finely-braided silk obijime cord that suspends the inro hang adjustable ojime fasteners of glazed earthenware, which are hand-painted with underglaze and overglaze enamels. The imagery includes signature-like branches, mountains, and a pine tree. Each knotted end of the cord dangles from the bottom of the inro with two rice-paper tubular beads. We could not find any Japanese beads...
