calculation sticks; counting rods
Historical mathematical tools: small sticks used for arithmetic in East Asia before the abacus became common. Often encountered in historical or mathematical contexts.
Counting rods were invented in ancient China and later introduced to Japan as a calculation tool.
divining rods; divination sticks
Used in traditional East Asian divination, such as 易占 (I Ching divination). The same physical sticks may serve both calculation and divination purposes historically.
The diviner laid out the divining rods and began the fortune-telling.
Compound of 算 (calculation) and 木 (wood, stick). The term directly describes wooden sticks used for arithmetic and divination. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is transparently formed from its components.