noun
ornamental curtain weight
Traditional Japanese interior item: a decorative weight placed on curtains, scrolls, or cloth to prevent them from being disturbed by wind. Often made of metal, ceramic, or stone. The reading ちんし is most common; ちんす and ちんじ are less frequent variants.
床の間の掛け軸に鎮子を添える。
Place a curtain weight on the hanging scroll in the alcove.
風でカーテンが揺れないように鎮子を使う。
Use ornamental weights so the curtains don't sway in the wind.
文鎮 is a paperweight for calligraphy or desk use, while 鎮子 is specifically for curtains, scrolls, or fabric.
Compound of 鎮 (chin, 'to weigh down, calm') and 子 (shi, a nominalizing suffix). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term refers to a weight used to stabilize objects.