Needle Case, With bachiru (decorative technique to present a design on ivory stained in red, blue, green, etc. in hairline engraving)

These cylindrical containers with lids are ivory needle cases shaped by turning on a lathe. They are decorated with motifs such as birds, animals, and flowering plants rendered in a technique called bachiru. Bachiru refers to an ivory-carving technique in which the surface of stained ivory is carved away to reveal the contrasting natural white ivory beneath.

— Museum description: Tokyo National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.