Hair Dressing Tool (Kogai) - Public domain photo of museum object

Kogai was usually carried with a short sword, often with a dagger, and much less often with a long sword. The kogai has been in use longer than most other devices, but there is no clear and accepted explanation for its purpose. Ancient Japanese histories tell us that they were sometimes used as hairpieces, but they were not well adapted for that purpose. Kogai were decorated with the heraldry of the owner and left in the body of an enemy killed in a feud between clans as a sign to his friends or family of who killed him. Comparatively few kogai are decorated with a mon (coat of arms). And it does not seem that they were often worn for this purpose. It is also said that they were used to carry the severed head of an enemy, or to pierce his ear or hair. On the other hand, we do know that it was customary to carry the head by the hair and to tie a piece of oiled paper around the neck to prevent blood dripping.

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