ornament; decorative object
General term for a decorative item placed in a room or on display.
棚の上に小さな据え物が置いてある。
A small ornament is placed on the shelf.
corpse for sword testing
Historical term for a dead body used to test the sharpness of a blade. Rare and archaic outside of historical contexts.
江戸時代には、刀の切れ味を試すために据え物が使われた。
In the Edo period, corpses were used to test the sharpness of swords.
unlicensed prostitute in a fixed brothel
Historical term for an unlicensed prostitute who always worked out of the same establishment. Rare and archaic.
遊郭の外で働く据え物は、幕府の取り締まりの対象だった。
Unlicensed prostitutes working outside the licensed quarters were targeted by the shogunate's crackdowns.
Compound of 据え (sue, continuative form of 据える 'to place, set') + 物 (mono, 'thing'). Literally 'a thing that is placed'. The historical senses likely developed from the idea of something set in a fixed position.