Yatate (矢立) are small personal smoking-pipe-shaped writing sets from medieval Japan which provided a carrying box for the ink cotton, and a shaft for a brush (and possibly a letter opener).

We have already covered the Fude and the Ink in this challenge – Japanese writing was traditionally down using an inking stone, a stick of solid ink and brushes. Before the invention of the Yatate – ink had to be made by grinding the ink stick. In the Kamakura Era the idea of ink saturated  cotton was developed and the cotton (soaked in liquid ink) could be enclosed in a box to make a writing set more convenient and portable. The writing brush simply needed pressed into the cotton. The “smoking pipe” shape was designed to increase the quantity of available ink. Although many shapes and designed were created for as a variety of needs. From the ultra light and portable to the heavy yatates that could be used as weapons.

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