Exhibition in TAMPERE, Finland

22 April 2010 – 9 January 2011

Catalogue available in two languages from the opening onwards at the Museum, one in English and one in Finnish, both hardbound, 368 pages, all in colour. Index, glossary and extensive bibliography.

INRŌ – A Key to the World of Samurai

A kimono has no pockets. Therefore, in ancient Japan, coins, medicines, personal seals, and other small items were carried in a small container worn on the belt. For this purpose, well-dressed Japanese gentlemen commissioned inrō, lavishly decorated lacquered containers. As an item of fashion, the inrō reflected its owner’s wealth, personality, style, and taste.

Initially, inrō were luxury objects exclusive to the samurai, but later on, even the chōnin, the wealthy ‘townsman’ class, began using them. These lacquered containers are superior and exquisite examples of Japanese craftsmanship.

Because the samurai and prosperous townspeople were trend-setters in the cultural life of the peaceful Edo period (1603–1868), the inrō serves as the perfect key for understanding the aesthetics and the social and cultural conditions of the time. It is a unique artefact that reflects Japanese culture and mentality, not only in the age of the samurai, but in modern Japan as well.

The exhibition INRŌ – A Key to the World of Samurai at the Museum Centre Vapriikki showcases a total of 205 inrō, each more enchanting than the last, plus a selection of woodblock prints and modern lacquer work from the collection of Heinz and Else Kress.

In connection with the exhibition, Vapriikki is publishing a comprehensive study of Japanese inrō by Heinz and Else Kress. Moreover, in autumn 2010, we will be offering a wide range of events focusing on Japan. Additional information is available on the museum’s web site www.tampere.fi/vapriikki. The Vapriikki Museum Shop and the Valssi café will also incorporate the Japan theme in a variety of ways.

We invite you to Vapriikki to visit the exotic and enchanting world of the Japanese samurai!

Address:

Museokeskus VAPRIIKKI,

Alaverstaanraitti 5, TAMPERE

FINLAND