Leather Music Bag?

My dad got this today described as a leather music bag. Is this correct?

It certaintly looks the right size for a few batons and some sheet music rolls. The baton on top that holds it shut while carrying is super cool too, though not very practical as a modern bag.

 

what size ?

 

Approx. 40cm

 

I don't claim any knowledge of vintage "music bags;" but speaking as one who has used a great deal of sheet music: I would never, ever roll up sheet music; that would cause it to curl when placed on a music stand, which is the second-worst thing that can happen to sheet music. Sheet music is always carried flat. It might well hold a folding music stand, however, which might explain the wear. My folding music stands are a bit longer, around 45 cm.
And the metal rod does not look like a baton to me; batons generally have a larger knob at one end, to hold onto; and generally no knob on the other. I've never known a conductor to take more than two batons to a concert...
(You might ask, what is the worst thing that can happen to sheet music? That would be at an outdoor gig, when a gust of wind blows the entire band's music away. Happened to me at a gig in Yakima WA....little children running across the park, retrieving the scattered paper, placing it on stage, where the bass ending up playing from the violin part.....)

 

If it does indeed have a musical connection, I like the folding stand hypothesis. And the knobbed rod might be a weight for those outdoor band concerts to prevent the bass from playing the violin part?

 

It’s not really from a reliable source so it might be a bag for something else. So at this point I’m 100% our on music. Don’t know about that weighted rod hypothesis it doesn’t come out of the handle

Pretty difficult to know what for then, other than the item actually being in there.