Japanese Iron Jitte with Lacquered Handle

A forged-iron truncheon of the type known as a jitte, literally "ten hands", with a segmented wooden handle covered in black lacquer. The thick, baton-shaped body carries a laterally projecting arm used as a hook for catching an opponent's weapon mid-swing. In feudal Japan the jitte was carried in place of a sword when entering the palace of the Shogun; in later times it was wielded by palace guards and became the emblem of that post. Late Edo to early Meiji period.