Examples very similar to this one have sold in auction for over $5,000, like this example: Iron Command Fan.

Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. Tessenjutsu (Japanese: 鉄扇術, lit. 'iron fan technique') is the martial art of the Japanese war fan (tessen). It is based on the use of the solid iron fan or the folding iron fan, which usually had eight or ten wood or iron ribs. The use of the war fan in combat is mentioned in early Japanese legends. For example, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a hero of Japanese legend, is said to have defeated an opponent named Benkei by parrying the blows of his opponent's spear with an iron fan. This use of the iron fan was said to have been taught to him by a mythological creature, a tengu, who had also instructed him in the art of swordsmanship.

War fans (tessen) were made to make signals on the battlefield and with their iron ribs also served as weapons. The outer spokes are made of heavy plates of iron which were designed to look like normal, harmless folding fans or solid clubs shaped to look like a closed fan. Samurai could take these to places where swords or other overt weapons were not allowed, and some swordsmanship schools included training in the use of the tessen as a weapon. The tessen was also used for fending off knives and darts, as a throwing weapon, and as an aid in swimming.

This is an extraordinarily scarce tessen war fan dating to the Edo Period (1615-1868). The iron fan sticks are finely engraved on both ends with a tremendous motif of a dragon flying through the sky, his tail clutching a sword on one side with his head on the other, with clouds carefully placed throughout. The engraving has become a bit difficult to see due to the darkening and slight oxidation of the iron, but is still visible. There is light pitting across the iron, giving it a gorgeous overall patina.

The fan when completely closed measures 13⅛” long and retains a lovely braided gold silk tassel. When opened, the fan reveals the Japanese Rising Sun on both sides, one backed in gold and the other in silver. The paper mounted on the ribs is heavily worn and extremely fragile, with several pieces already having breaks and tears as shown. Please know that every time the fan is opened, the paper is damaged further, so be extremely careful when handling the fan! This example would look best professionally framed in the open position, meticulously arranged as to not further damage the paper.

This is one of the most tremendous pieces of Japanese Samurai history we have offered, and we don’t expect to find another any time soon, so don’t miss out! Comes ready for further research and display.