Medicine case with cranes and waves, 1810s-1820s, Hara Yōyūsai; Designer: Sakai Hōitsu, Japanese, 1761 - 1828, 2 3/4 × 2 3/16 × 15/16 in. (6.99 × 5.56 × 2.38 cm) (inro)7 1/2 × 2 3/16 × 15/16 in. (19.05 × 5.56 × 2.38 cm) (including cord and netsuke ), Black lacquer with gold and silver maki-e and shell inlay; silk cord, Japan, 19th century, Inrō, sometimes called 'medicine cases,' were used to carry a variety of small articles, not just medicine. The owner would typically hang an inrō over a sash worn at the waist. The inrō was connected by a cord to a counterweight, called a netsuke, which kept it from falling off. This lacquer inrō was produced by Hara Yōyūsai who decorated it with a motif of cranes and waves designed by the Rinpa painter, Sakai Hōitsu.