A single or double rack usually found at the outside left of a tea house entrance to hold the swords of warriors. Part of the code of the tea cult was that the tea ceremony was a place where, ideally at least, the cares, disputes, and hostilities of the outside world were momentarily forgotten. Thus, even warriors left their weapons outside. See *sōan 草庵. Exactly when the sword rack was devised cannot be ascertained. However at Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 豊臣秀吉 magnificent tea gathering at Kitano 北野 (1587) in Kyoto, Sen Rikyū's tea ceremony hut, 4 1/2 mats *yojōhan 四畳半 had a single shelf hung outside for warriors swords. When a double rack was provided for both long and short swords, the upper rack was larger (about 90 cm x 30 cm), and the lower rack was smaller (about 70 cm x 30 cm). Sen Rikyū 千利休 (1522-91) preferred cedar wood while Sen Sōtan 千宗旦 (1578-1658) favored bamboo. Usually the rack was of the hanging shelf style *tsuridana 釣棚, but some were hung under the eaves rather than attached to the wall. Sometimes the katanakake was placed above a window *shitajimado下地窓, in which case the lower shelf was narrower than the top and held in place by support posts. Large two-tiered stones *katanakake-ishi 刀掛石 were often placed below the katanakake to make them easy to reach. Customarily, a feathery broom was hung near by. Example: Urasenke Yūin 裏千家又隠 in Kyoto. Another type of katanakake is found at Yōrin'an-no-chaseki 養林庵の茶席, Uji 宇治 in Kyoto (1601). It has bamboo posts into which bamboo pegs are mounted in a V-shape at regular intervals. The swords are laid into the V-shaped holder or into five hooks which have been attached to the cross members. When carrying swords was outlawed, sword racks became unnecessary, but their presence is preserved in order to remind tea participants of the importance of peace in the tea ceremony house.
