Sagemono

Japanese do not have pockets in their kimono. Articles of everyday use were worn suspended from the obi (kimono sash) or were carried with them in suspended containers. These articles or suspended containers are called "sagemono", sometimes referred to as koshisage. The earliest known sagemono type was the hiuchi-bukuro, a little bag containing fire-making implements. It is already mentioned in the "Kojiki" (a work dating from the 8th century). From the 13th century on these little bags were also used for carrying money. It were simple leather bags closed by means of a cord . The kinchaku or money-pouch in brocade came into use during the following centuries. Until then these sagemono were not used in conjunction with netsuke but they were carried attached to the sword hilt. The most famous sagemono type is the inro. It first appeared as a square box with a cover and two compartments in order to contain a seal and ink-pad for use at home. Together with the medicine box (yakuro) they were placed on the tokonoma. The portable version which came into use during the 16th century was more rounded and flattened. Later on the inro was made in several storable compartments so that it could be used for other purposes such as the storage of medicines. The different compartments are kept together by a cord running through the himotoshi (holes alongside each side of the compartment) . This cord ends in a knot on the bottom of the inro and is fastened with an ojime (a little beat) at the top. The use of inro was a privilege to the samurai warrior class.