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 If
the kimono had one major failing as a practical garment, it
was the lack of pockets. This shortcoming was ably addressed
by female wearers through clever utilization of their kimono’s
ample sleeves. Men, however, were put to a greater task due
to the relatively less abundant cut of their raiments. They
responded by carrying small pouches which, for want of alternatives,
they tied to the sash at their waist and left loosely pendant.
As a variant, they also tied certain items directly to the sash,
secured by a toggle.
Among such items are inro, small containers comprised of one
or more snugly fitted compartments surmounted by a lid. Inro
typically have a rectangular face and a flattened, elliptical
cross-section. Their name, which literally means “seal
basket,” suggests that inro were originally conceived to
hold their owner’s personal seal. But whether or not such
a provenance was true, historical evidence indicates that inro
early on became holders of medicines. They came into widespread
fashion during the 18th and 19th centuries, at which time they
developed into veritable artworks in their own category. Lacquer
construction ultimately became the most prevalent, but inro
can also be found made from metals, wood, bamboo, ivory, animal
horns and ceramics. Their modes of decoration were equally diverse,
but the pinnacle in inro ornamentation came to be maki-e,
“sprinkled pictures” made from powders containing
precious metals like gold and silver. So great was the popularity
of maki-e inro that artisans specializing in this highly demanding
technique emerged in substantial numbers.
Netsuke are the toggles used to secure inro and pouches to the
obi. Like inro, they are made from a remarkable array of materials.
Among these, the most famous today is perhaps ivory; but netsuke
have also been fashioned from wood, bamboo, the horns of deer
and water buffalo, metals of all kinds, ceramics, tortoise shell,
coral, agate, crystalline and other beautiful stones, and glass.
Their decorative techniques, here again, are quite remarkable
in their breadth, spanning from maki-e and cloisonné
to damascene inlays of precious metals. Their designs know virtually
no limits, encompassing themes from the animal and plant worlds,
people, symbols of good luck, characters from well-known tales,
Noh masks and much more. Netsuke are especially admired for
their exquisite detail and effusive wit. In this respect, netsuke,
like inro, became a hallmark in the Edo-era quest after iki. |
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