Inrō and Netsuke (Three Courtiers, Two Elderly Man in a Robes, and a Noble Woman Seated)

An inrō is a small container with several compartments that was once used by Japanese men to carry seals, vermillion stamp pads and medicines. The inrō was suspended from the kimono’s sash that passed through a bead (ojime), which secured the compartments in place, terminating with a toggle (netsuke). While men of all classes wore inrō, they became symbols of status and wealth to middle class townsmen, whose conspicuous consumption was regulated by sumptuary regulations during the Edo period (1615–1868). The small size of inrō and netsuke meant they could not be considered luxury goods by official censors; therefore, these items became finely crafted objects created by artisans who specialized in their production.