The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 21, 2025

Inro (Case) with Egrets and Willows

1700s

Japan, Edo period

(1615–1868)
Lacquer on wood with sprinkled gold powder design (maki-e) and gold-foil-and-shell inlay (Somada style)
Overall: 9.9 x 4.8 cm (3 7/8 x 1 7/8 in.)
Gift of D. Z. Norton 1916.866
Location: Not on view

Description

The iridescence of this inro is due to the shell inlay used to form the design of an egret (a waterfowl) standing among reeds in water beneath a weeping willow on one side and an egret resting in a tree on the other. The metal ojime (cinch) has a floral design, and the round lacquer netsuke, or toggle, has an image of a Chinese gentleman, possibly an immortal, holding flowers planted in a shallow pot.
  • ?–1916
    D. Z. Norton [1851–1928], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1916–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Animals in Japanese Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 24-December 10, 2023).
  • {{cite web|title=Inro (Case) with Egrets and Willows|url=false|author=|year=1700s|access-date=21 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.866