Object Image

Hair Dressing Tool (Kogai)

A kōgai is a hairdressing tool that is part of a sword mounting. The long slender implement is carried in a slot on the obverse of a katana scabbard, often with a matching kozuka (handle of a by-knife) in a slot on the reverse.

Credit: Bequest of Edward G. Kennedy, 1932...

18th century
Copper-gold alloy (shakudō), gold, copper
21.0in
33.40.60
Image and text © Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2019

Where you'll find this

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Permanent collection