Tessen
| Tessen | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Information | |
| Weapon type: | Percussion weapon |
| Designations: | Tessen, iron fan |
| Use: | weapon |
| Region of origin / author: |
Japan , samurai , armourers |
| Distribution: | Japan |
| Overall length: | about 28 to 44 cm |
| Material: | Iron , wood , paper |
| Handle: | metal |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Tessen [ tɛsːɛɴ ] ( Japanese 鉄 扇 , literally "Iron Fan"), also called Tetsu-Sen or war fan , was a hidden weapon of the samurai .
description
There are two different main versions:
- The combat-ready fan that is intended as a weapon.
- The ceremonial fan that was used as a badge of rank or signal device and cannot be closed or opened ( Gumbai Uchiwa ).
While common people wore a sensu (a foldable fan ) that they could use to fan fresh air during the hot and humid summers of Japan , the samurai used this fashionable accessory as a secret weapon. When a samurai entered another samurai's house, it was common for him to leave his katana at the entrance to the house. In order not to be defenseless in the event of a surprise attack, the fan that cannot be put down has been converted into a weapon. There were tessen in which only the outer, all ribs or the wrapper were made of metal. As a training weapon, there were solid pieces of wood or metal that were modeled on a folded fan. The martial arts technique Tessen-Jutsu is performed with the fan.
literature
- George Cameron Stone , Donald J. LaRocca: A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor: in All Countries and in All Times. Courier Dover Publications, Mineola (NY) 1999, ISBN 978-0-486-40726-5 (Reprint), pp. 660-661.
- Don A. Cunningham: Taiho-jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai. Tuttle Publishing, Boston 2004, ISBN 978-0-8048-3536-7 , p. 79.