Four-case inro showing a pair of Ho-o birds perched on rocks, clouds, wave pattern

This ornate inrō shows two phoenixes in gold takamaki-e with red lacquer accents. Kirigane sheets add texture to the seaside rocks that the mystical birds perch upon, and the wandering clouds that obscure the delicately rendered golden waves. Silver powder adds definition and dimension to the edges of the otherwise monochromatic design. The phoenix is a mythical creature imbued with a variety of symbolic meanings. It is one of the four heavenly animals that preside over the cardinal directions—a tortoise wrapped by a snake for North, a dragon for East, the phoenix for South, and a white tiger for West—and is more generally seen to bring good luck and long life. This inrō shows a few of the bird’s storied composite features, such as the head of a pheasant, the long plumage reminiscent of a peacock, a cock’s comb, and the beak of a swallow.