�
Image: berlinerhaie
We all know for what purpose fans are used but there is a kind of fan in Japan that is primarily a signaling device.� It is actually a fan designed for warfare.� It can also be used as a weapon and it is called thew war fan.
There are three basic types of war fans consisting of the gunsen, tessen, and the gunbai. �The gunsen fan is a folding fan usually seen hanging from a warrior’s breastplate. �The tessen is often used as a throwing weapon and an effective means of fending darts and arrows. �The gunbai is quite flexible even in its stationary form of being a �large and solid fan.
It could be easy to imagine how wars can provide a semblance of art with the use of war fans. �Instead�of�swift�confrontation, the use of the Japanese war fan requires observing rituals, practices, and protocols. �Commands can be given to soldiers through the use of war fans which in turn can be passed on to other participants.
The use of the Japanese war fan lends a degree of nobility to an otherwise dreadful activity. �The use of the tessen is even considered lethal since it is considered quite a weapon in the hands of a real�fighter. �Many families preserve their war fans� �to be of use to others. �To many however, they preserve theirs as �historic specimens which can be brought out time and again for study and comparison. �Japanese war fans are considered �defense weapons by the samurai which are easily concealed.