DescriptionAntique Japanese silver over nickel gunbai 軍配 war fan. A type of signal baton and Japanese war fan. Once held by military leaders (such as daimyō) and priests in the past, it is used in the modern day by umpires in sumo wrestling. Gunbai, from the Sino-Japanese roots meaning “military-apportioned [fan]”, were a specialized form of fan used by samurai officers in Japan to communicate commands to their troops. Unlike regular fans, gunbai were solid, not folding, and usually made of wood, wood covered with metal, or solid metal.Age: Meiji Period (1868 – 1912)Dimensions: 21″ H x 11″ wide
