The inro was attached to the waist via a cord. On this cord was a bead (an ojime) and a carved figure (a netsuke) that were used as fasteners. This box is decorated with a lobster design.
The rise and decline of the Ephrussis and the story of their collection of 264 little Japanese carvings, known as netsuke, was told in Edmund de Waal's best-seller, The Hare with Amber Eyes.