A holding apparatus capable of holding a holding object while being connected to a distal end of an attachment body of a work machine to constitute a work attachment in cooperation with the attachment body, the attachment body having the distal and being operable to move the distal end, the holding apparatus comprising: a holding-apparatus body (30, 40) connectable to the distal end of the attachment body; a first arm and a second arm aligned in an opening and closing direction, each of the first arm and the second arm having an arm upper region connected to the holding-apparatus body and an arm lower region extending downward from the upper arm region in a holding posture; an opening and closing mechanism interposed between the holding-apparatus body and the arm upper region of each of the first arm and the second arm so as to allow each of the first arm and the second arm to be translated in the opening and closing direction while kept in the holding posture to the holding-apparatus body, the holding posture being a posture where the arm lower region extends downward from the arm upper region; a driving device that actuates the opening and closing mechanism so as to change an arm interval, which is an interval between the first arm and the second arm in the opening and closing direction; a first holding element connected to the arm lower region of the first arm pivotably around a first holding pivot axis extending in a front-rear direction perpendicular to each of a vertical direction of the holding apparatus and the opening and closing direction; a second holding element connected to the arm lower region of the second arm pivotably around a second holding pivot axis extending in the front-rear direction, wherein the first holding element and the second holding element have respective inner contact surfaces opposed to each other in the opening and closing direction and respective outer contact surfaces facing opposite sides to the inner contact surfaces, respectively, with respect to the opening and closing direction. a holding-apparatus body (30, 40) connectable to the distal end of the attachment body; a first arm and a second arm aligned in an opening and closing direction, each of the first arm and the second arm having an arm upper region connected to the holding-apparatus body and an arm lower region extending downward from the upper arm region in a holding posture; an opening and closing mechanism interposed between the holding-apparatus body and the arm upper region of each of the first arm and the second arm so as to allow each of the first arm and the second arm to be translated in the opening and closing direction while kept in the holding posture to the holding-apparatus body, the holding posture being a posture where the arm lower region extends downward from the arm upper region; a driving device that actuates the opening and closing mechanism so as to change an arm interval, which is an interval between the first arm and the second arm in the opening and closing direction; a first holding element connected to the arm lower region of the first arm pivotably around a first holding pivot axis extending in a front-rear direction perpendicular to each of a vertical direction of the holding apparatus and the opening and closing direction; a second holding element connected to the arm lower region of the second arm pivotably around a second holding pivot axis extending in the front-rear direction, wherein the first holding element and the second holding element have respective inner contact surfaces opposed to each other in the opening and closing direction and respective outer contact surfaces facing opposite sides to the inner contact surfaces, respectively, with respect to the opening and closing direction.