What is the origin of Kyo Folding fans
”Miyawaki Baisenan” is a studio that sells Kyo folding fans. The oldest found wooden fan was found in the arms of the Buddhist statue in Toji. It is a fan made with thin cypress bound together said to have been made in the year 877. Later on folding fans made of bamboo and paper were made and then with time the types the same as the present began to be made. Kyo folding fans have been used for Noh and Kyogen, Japanese traditional dances, tea ceremonies, aroma ceremonies, etc. besides to fan yourself in hot heat. The pictures and designs were therefore made to fit the different occasions they were going to be used for. Have you ever seen manga scenes of a mademoiselle of the Bourbon dynasty using fluffy feathered folding fans? There are theories that in the 13th century, the folding fans had travelled from Japan to China and then to Europe via the silk road. It was then reimported and became popular in Japan in the form of silk folding fans, but to think Japanese culture had already been influential at this point in time.
Know the delicacy of fan making
Nakata visited the workshop of Teramura, folding fan craftsman. Teramura is responsible for the last process of fan making. Nakata experiences inserting the core in the fan paper, the task proving to be difficult as precision is required. Finally Teramura is interviewed while giving Nakata a hand with the completion of the fan. ”There are about 30 procedures to the making of a folding fan, and for each procedure, we have a craftsman in charge. The making of a folding fan takes as much care as growing rice.” They are 400 fans that are made per day. The last procedure includes checking it one last time. All the minute procedures inclusive creates a folding fan. Miyawaki Baisenan has been making folding fans for more than 180 years, since its establishment in 1824. What is intriguing about their workshop is that among the many folding fans they have on display, they also have famous Japanese artists’ paintings, calligraphy, and scrolls. See how folding fans have added color to cultural history.
