Human world
A fox in priest's robes
Made by Shibayama Eikoku, about 1850
Accession Number 43.22.G40 .
The kimono, the traditional costume of Japan, has no pockets. Japanese men carried a small box, often made of lacquered wood called an inro. It was used to hold everyday items, like small coins.
Japanese women did not wear inro. They used a leather or fabric purse called a kinchaku.
Inro were carefully made and highly decorated. This made them very fashionable for Japanese people who could afford them. They were also popular with Western visitors to Japan.