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喜多川歌麿筆「団扇を持つ高島おひさ」(東京国立博物館蔵) /

Traditional hand-held fans (Uchiwa)

Uchiwa are instruments consisting of 2 parts: a handle and a fan attached to the end of the handle. Similar types of fan are mainly used in hot weather areas in lower latitudes.

   Uchiwa are instruments consisting of 2 parts: a handle and a fan attached to the end of the handle. Similar types of fan are mainly used in hot weather areas in lower latitudes, featuring a wide variety of materials, shapes, designs, and uses. In China, uchiwa were already being used since the Zhou Dynasty prior to the third century B.C. During the Han Dynasty, long handled uchiwa called sashiba began to be used by servants in rituals or processions to conceal the faces of higher ranked people.  Newer types of uchiwa were developed in the Liu-Cha and Tang Dynasties for a variety of purposes. Ladies of the court holding sashiba with a round fan were depicted on the walls of Takamatsuzuka ancient tombs located in Asuka-village, theTakaichi region, Nara, Japan. In the Nara and Heian periods(8c-12c), sashiba were used for cooling, concealing faces, and, for ornamental purposes among Imperial courts and aristocracies. During the Warring States period (late 15th century-late 16th century), gunbai-uchiwa began to be used by samurai warriors to command troops at the front. Gunbai-uchiwa were made of Japanese lacquered iron or leather with decorated patterns such as the sun, the moon, or nine stars, painted with gold or silver, with braided cords threaded through their handles. Today, gunbai used by Sumo referees to conduct the bouts and announce the results originated with sashiba. Over the years, fans for cooling called uchiwa made of paper in bamboo frames started to be produced and spread across Japan in the Edo Period. In the end of the Edo period, ukiyo-e attached to uchiwa called uchiwa-e became popular in Edo (the capital city). Popular ukiyo-e painters such as the first Utagawa Toyokuni, Utagawa Hiroshige, Katsushika Hokusai, and Utagawa Kuniyoshi produced various types of ukiyo-e. In the Meiji period, uchiwa were exported abroad as fine arts and crafts along with lacquer wear and folding fans. Also, the custom of distributing uchiwa printed with advertisements was started by merchants and shops. Now, uchiwa are widely used as tools for cooling, at festivals, and at Bon dance events.

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Institutions and External Links

  • he National Museum of Ethnology, Japan (Minpaku) is the only research institute of cultural anthropology and ethnology in the world, that is equipped with one of the world’s largest museum facilities as well as post-graduate educational facilities.

  • 丸亀うちわの歴史を伝える総合博物館。さまざまな丸亀うちわ、うちわづくりの模型人形、文献などを展示。実演コーナーでは、職人が伝統の技と工程を披露するほか、全国の主なうちわも展示。

  • 京都府の伝統工芸品「京うちわ」の種類や制作工程を紹介。

  • 香川県の伝統工芸品「丸亀うちわ」の歴史や制作工程を紹介。

  • 千葉県の伝統工芸品「房州うちわ」の歴史や制作工程を紹介。

References

  1. 日立デジタル平凡社,平凡社