Inrokake
Folding inro display stand
Mid Edo Period (1615-1867)
109 cm x 40 cm
A lacquer-decorated inro display stand (inro-kake) with the hangers shaped as butterflies.
The decoration is a revival of a typical pattern from Momoyama period: a zigzag line across the surface divides the decorative fields in two; on one side the design represents paulownia flowers and pampas grass, while the other is decorated with shells and seaweeds.
The two terminals are slightly flared recalling the shape of the torii, traditional gate in the shinto shrine, and are decorated with a chess pattern, another feature typical of Momoyama period.