Inro

An inro is a traditional Japanese case for holding small objects, suspended from the (sash) worn around the waist when wearing a kimono. They are often highly decorated with various materials such as lacquer and various techniques such as , and are more decorative than other Japanese lacquerware. Because traditional Japanese dress lacked pockets, objects were often carried by hanging them from the in containers known as (a hanging object attached to a sash). Most were created for specialized contents, such as tobacco, pipes, writing brush and ink, but the type known as is suitable for carrying small things, and was created in the Sengoku period (1467–1615) as a portable identity seal and medicine container for travel. In the middle of the Edo period (1603–1868), became popular as men's accessories, and wealthy merchants of the and samurai classes collected often beautifully decorated with lacquer. As the technique developed from the late Edo period to the Meiji period (1868–1912) and the artistic value of increased, were no longer used as an accessory and came to be regarded as an art object for collection. The term is a combination of the kanji for 印, which means a seal or stamp, and the kanji for 籠, which means a basket. Consisting of a stack of tiny, nested boxes, were most commonly used to carry 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 , a kind of toggle that is passed between the sash and pants and then hooked over the top of the sash to suspend the . An bead is provided on the cords between the and to hold the boxes together. This bead is slid down the two suspension cords to the top of the to hold the stack together while the is worn, and slid up to the when the boxes need to be unstacked to access their contents. are mostly made from paper, wood, metal, or ivory, with the most common material being paper.