Select the image then [Edit > Clone > Create Clone] or [alt+d]. This creates a replica of the image (or any other object) without adding another image to your svg document. For additional clones, copy and paste (or duplicate) the first clone.
All objects - including clones - can be assigned a label. Use the [Object > Object Properties...] dialog. The label can be unique or shared with other objects. To select all objects sharing a label use [Edit > Find/Replace...] [Find: label_text] [Search in: Properties].
The Find dialog can also select partial matches. For example, [Find: red] will find the objects labelled "red rectangle", "red circle", "red circle clone1", but not "blue text street_address"
Beginners' Questions reusing an embedded iamge
Inkscape.org
how can i embed a single image (like a png icon) and re-use it in different location across the an svg document?
i don't want to link the image because i want it to be safe contained
also is there standard way to "label" the difference instances of those embedded images (like adding a small name) ?
Select the image then [Edit > Clone > Create Clone] or [alt+d]. This creates a replica of the image (or any other object) without adding another image to your svg document. For additional clones, copy and paste (or duplicate) the first clone.
All objects - including clones - can be assigned a label. Use the [Object > Object Properties...] dialog. The label can be unique or shared with other objects. To select all objects sharing a label use [Edit > Find/Replace...] [Find: label_text] [Search in: Properties].
The Find dialog can also select partial matches. For example, [Find: red] will find the objects labelled "red rectangle", "red circle", "red circle clone1", but not "blue text street_address"