Japanese Crafts: Inro and Netsuke, the small masterpieces

• 13/02/2009 - 00:00
• Author: Yuki Sakuma
• Japan
• 1 Comments
• Read in IT

Inro 印籠 are the little masterpieces of Japanese craftsmen. These precious items were born in in the Edo period (1600 - 1868), in order to carry little things like: tobacco, identity seals and medicines.

    

n the Edo period, pockets didn`t exist in japan, so all those little things were carried around by hanging them from the obi, sash and kimono sleeves.

Inro are small boxes which are made by a stack of one or more of some tiny, nested boxes. A small  rope is used to close up the nests, and at the and of the rope there is a Netsuke, a sort of button used to tie the Inro onto the Obi


So the Inro came into this world as a practical solution to carrying around tobacco and medicines easily. Yet, thanks to the Japanese sensibility it slowly became an ornament, just like many other of the ancient Japanese items. As you have only seen the elaborate versions of this unique japanese item, we have decided to show you how simple the classic design was in the picture above. This simple thing developed so much that it changed into a lot of different designs like this Cicala-Shaped Inro and Netsuke.

A special mention must also be made for the Netsuke. Above the netsuke is in the form of this beautiful cicada design. However, the Netsuke were initially more modest and less elaborate, than in the picture above. Again, just like the Inro, the netssuke was created principally for practical use. Both the Inro and the Netsuke experienced their best years during the seventeenth century, were by the two became more and more of an oranment. The creators of these objects seemed to be overflowing with ideas, and their imagination showed no boundries.

Usually, Netsuke are carved out of ivory, as this is the traditional method. This makes creating Netsuke a very difficult art, just look at the amount of detail in the netsuke above! How long would that have taken to carve? Do you know anyone who would have the patience to make anything like that!
If your still not baffled about the amount of detail on these precious little things, then take a loook at a close up shot of a dragon. How Imagine if the craftsman made a single mistake whilst near the end of making such a beauty!


A big collection of Inro and Netsuke can be found in Italy at  Oriental Art Museum Cà Pesaro in Venice. The museum has one of the most important Edo art collections in the World.

Where can i Buy my own Inro?
You can buy an original XVIII Century Inro on the Graysantique web site or you can try your luck at Ebay, where you can find some interesting offers for buy Inro

How to build a Inro
I found an interesting tutorial about building an Inro take a look!! :-)