Wardrobe in a video game - what is the "donut"?

Factual Questions
1

I’ve been playing a game based (probably very!) loosely on middle ages Japan, Ghost of Tsushima, and I notice that some characters will have a wooden ‘donut’ on their belts.

Example from concept art for the game:

What is that wood bagel-thing for? I see a groove in it in this illustration - carrier for a spare bowstring? Something else? This character in the game is a sword wielder and a bow ‘man’, but the illustration shows bow only, so I figure the donut is a bow thing.

(also wondering why the pelt behind the knife, but whatever)

2

A friend of mine in my fantasy writing group says it’s used to bind twine or rope in a safer fashion than to just keep it hanging loosely.

3

I’m thinking bowstring then

4

Right. It’s called tsurumaki.

See the annotation for the mounted archers on the 19th century scroll here:

http://digital.princeton.edu/annotatedscrolls/index.php?a=scroll

~Max

5

Excellent, thank you, Max

I couldn’t find the archer annotation in your link, but I found this:

Imgur

(‘giriko’ is stuff to rub on your bowing fingers to prevent slipping)

Ignorance fought!

6

This FQ was solved rather quickly. I hope it’s ok to add:

“So I tied an onion ring to my belt which was the style at the time.”

7

Looks like an attenuated version/stylistic echo of the natsukage mukabaki of mounted archers. - basically deerskin chaps.

8

I’ll bet a tsurumaki would make a great bagel-holder.