Gunsen (Japanese Folding War Fan)
Concealed / Blunt weapon
Quick Facts
OriginJapan (Samurai / Commanders) (Kamakura / Sengoku Period (12th-16th C.))
Wield TypeSingle-handed
MaterialForged steel/bronze outer ribs with lacquered paper/silk
Length25 - 30 cm cm
Weight0.2 - 0.4 kg kg
History
Japanese folding war fan used by samurai officers for battlefield signaling and personal self-defense. The outer guards made of solid steel shielded fingers and forearms.
About
Folded, it serves as a rigid iron truncheon to block blade cuts. Unfolded, it deflects projectiles and masks hand movements prior to a strike.