Inro and Netsuke, by Nathan Hayes

The piece depicts a pastoral scene, and this depiction is an argument calling for Japan to return to tradition from before the Meiji period. This object is an inro and netsuke set from the Condell collection, a collection of over one hundred pieces of inro and netsuke. The purpose of the inro had changed since they first came into use, and by the time this inro was created, that was art. The purpose of netsuke also changed, as they went from simple fasteners to ornate works of art with deep symbolic importance. This netsuke actually has a signature on it of the sculptor, Isshu III, but the inro does not. The object came from the Meiji period, so it was solely a work of art. The piece must be analyzed as art due to the context of its creation.