Lot #16 - The Killer Fan
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Auction House:Webb's
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Sale Name:Improbable Gifts for Impossible People
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Sale Date:18 Oct 2012 ~ 7pm (NZ time)
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Lot #:16
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Lot Description:The Killer Fan
The art of fighting with Japanese war fans is known as tessenjutsu. Used both as a close quarter weapon and a signifier of rank, the samurai fan was a deadly piece of attire. Most typically hung from the belt or the breastplate, the Samurai could take fans in to places where swords or other overt weapons were not welcome, such as steam baths and sake houses. Fashioned from heavy lacquered paper with strong ribbing, the open fan was capable of delivering severe lacerations. Housed by a metal outer, the fan once closed could also be used as a light and highly articulate baton. The tessen was also used for fending off arrows and darts, as a throwing weapon, and as an aid in swimming. One particularly famous legend involving the war fan concerns a direct confrontation between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin at the fourth battle of Kawanakajima in 1561. Kenshin burst into Shingen's command tent on horseback, having broken through Shingen 18,000 personal army, and attacked; his sword was deflected by Shingen's war fan who then parried with a tessen and took Kenshin out. Just like that. -
Estimate:NZ$200 - 400
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Realised Price:
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Category:Militaria & Weapons
This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.
