Inro — Practical and Historic Collectibles
Black lacquer five-case inro, inlaid double gourd flask, woven straw hat and riding crop beneath a weeping cherry tree, gold with inlaid pewter and shell leaves, signed “Toju” (for Kanshosai Toju), c.1800, 3 3/4 in., $3,914.
Practicality paired with beautiful designs made the inro, a pouch attached at waist level, a staple for hundreds of years for Japanese men. A recent auction at Bonhams in London had 230 lots from the Japanese art collection of the late Edward (Ted) Wrangham. Prices in this auction ranged from $115 for a Kiseruzutsu (a […]