Long battle fan (gunbai) with paulownia crests, 18th-19th century
Unknown Japaneseexpand_more
Lacquered wood, metalexpand_more
The Mary Griggs Burke Endowment Fund established by the Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundationexpand_more 2021.50.1
Not on Viewexpand_more
Military commanders used gunbai primarily to communicate commands and signals during battle. Fans have long been superstitiously associated with ridding oneself of demons and attracting power. Unlike folding fans, which were also used as a battle fan, these gunbai have flat surfaces and cannot be made compact. Because earlier fans were actually used in battle, their decoration and form tended to be simple.
During the Edo period, a time of relative peace, the fans gradually became decorative, symbolic objects. This longer gunbai is beautifully crafted. On one side, the cardinal virtues of Confucianism – benevolence, justice, courtesy, and wisdom – appear diagonally across the center in order. The final character here is written as spirit, which is a homophone of the fifth virtue, sincerity. Finished in nashiji lacquer and a fundame lacquer circle. A paulownia family crest appears on both sides, as well as a moon on one side.
Details
- Title
- Long battle fan (gunbai) with paulownia crests
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2021.50.1
- Curator Approved
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