We have just bought this inrô. It shows a boy throwing beans at an oni. We have several netsuke [N004], [N028] and [N082] that show this Japanese custom associated with the spring festival Setsubun is mame-maki, in which beans are thrown to banish evil spirits (such as oni). A masu—wooden measuring cup—is filled with roasted soybeans, which are scattered about the room to shouts of Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! [鬼は外!福は内!] 'Oni out! Blessings in!'
The oni is very subtly drawn in brown-black matt lacquer on the shiny black back of the inrô. The beans are tiny spots of silver. The inrô is by the Kajikawa family in the 19th C.