幾何模様蒔絵印籠|Inrō with Geometric Pattern

Unknown

first half of the19th century · Four cases; lacquered wood with metal and mother-of-pearl inlay on black lacquer ground; Netsuke: ryūsa type carved ivory; floral design; Ojime: metal bead with chrysanthemum · Asian Art

Although the pearl-shell motifs scattered over the surface of this inro appear floral, the lattice-like structure also identifies the design as an abstract representation of nets. Such a repetitive pattern over the entire surface may reflect the use of stencils to decorate Japanese textiles with small, repetitive patterns by the resist-dye technique, a tradition that flourished in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Artist

Unknown

Date

first half of the19th century

Medium

Four cases; lacquered wood with metal and mother-of-pearl inlay on black lacquer ground; Netsuke: ryūsa type carved ivory; floral design; Ojime: metal bead with chrysanthemum

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929