ashmoleanmuseum:

Turtle Day

Happy #WorldTurtleDay! Here are a few turtles from our collections.

The first turtle made of wood is an inrō - a traditional Japanese case for holding small objects that was suspended from a sash worn around the waist. Traditional Japanese robes did not have pockets, so objects were often carried this way in a variety of different vessels. The inrō was particularly suitable for carrying anything small; this object measures only 11 x 71 centimetres.

Also below is a blue figure of a tortoise from 8th century China, and a terracotta vessel in the form of a turtle from late 3rd century-early 2nd century BC North India.