Case (Inrō) with Fox Wedding Procession 19th century

This is Shibata Zeshin's "Case (Inrō) with Fox Wedding Procession," a work of art that is both enchanting and subtly subversive. Executed with lacquer, gold, and silver, the piece presents a scene of foxes in a wedding procession set against a glossy black background. The deep, lustrous black lacquer immediately captures our attention, providing a stark contrast that accentuates the figures and objects. Zeshin's choice of material is pivotal; lacquer, with its smooth and reflective surface, heightens the drama of the narrative, inviting us to decipher the semiotic codes embedded within. The artist uses colour to distinguish different forms of the fox procession: from blue and grey to red and yellow. Zeshin challenges our conventional understanding of space and identity by creating an uncanny scene where animals mimic human customs. It destabilizes the fixed categories of human and animal, reality and myth, prompting a deeper consideration of the fluid boundaries that define cultural norms. This inrō encourages us to reflect on how cultural values and norms are constructed and represented. It presents us with the understanding that art is not a fixed entity, but a dynamic process of understanding and interpretation.