The richly illustrated publication presents about 250 Inro from the Anna and Christian Trumpf collection.
These small, multipartite receptacles for seals and medicine, which were attached to a belt with the aid of a toggle (Netsuke), came into use in the sixteenth century and remained a prominent accessory in Japanese menswear until the late nineteenth century.
The symbolic, often narrative decoration, conveys a valuable insight into Japanese culture. Today the carefully and lovingly worked, mostly lacquered inro enjoy enormous popularity in collectors' circles.
Small but beautiful, a netsuke is an everyday object which was born of practical necessity, but which became a highly respected art form in Edo Japan. Today, Japanese netsuke are still studied and admired by artists, historians, and lovers of fashion the world over.
Hardcover, new, still sealed in shrink wrap.
