JAC-MTS-504-03 Japanese Armor Workshop "Marutake" made "Gunbai / commander's fan" – Fūrinkazan

The term "Gunbai" refers to a war fan, traditionally used by military commanders to direct troops during battle.
The word is an abbreviation of Gunbai uchiwa, a fan-shaped tool.
Today, it is most commonly recognized as the fan held by Sumo referees (gyōji), used to signal the start of a match and to declare the winner.
Over time, the term has also come to be used more broadly in various competitive contexts beyond Sumo.

Originally, "Gunbai" referred not just to the physical fan, but to the strategic system known as gunbaijutsu or gunbai-heihō — a tactical method of determining auspicious directions and times for battle, based on celestial observation and divination.
During the Muromachi period, as group warfare became more common, Gunbai uchiwa decorated with elements such as cardinal directions, the twelve zodiac signs, yin and yang, astronomical symbols, the eight trigrams (bagua), the 28 lunar mansions, and Sanskrit characters were favored by commanders.
For military strategists of the time, the outcome of a battle could determine not only personal fate but the rise or fall of an entire clan.
It was therefore their solemn duty to interpret the heavens, select auspicious dates and directions for departure, and predict the future accordingly.

Fans themselves have long been believed to ward off evil spirits and invite spiritual power, and have thus also been used in Shinto rituals and other sacred ceremonies.

"Fū-rin-ka-zan" is composed of four characters: wind (風 / fu), forest (林 / rin), fire (火 / ka), and mountain (山 / zan). The phrase "Fūrinkazan" originates from the ancient Chinese military treatise The Art of War by Sun Tzu, specifically from Chapter 7, “Military Combat” (Gunshō-hen), which discusses the movements of an army.
It is derived from a 14-character verse :「疾如風、徐如林、侵掠如火、不動如山」
It means that an army should advance swiftly like the wind, remain calmly in place like the forest, attack fiercely like fire, and defend resolutely like a mountain.
The phrase embodies four essential principles of mindset in warfare.
The word "Fūrinkazan" was formed by taking one character from each phrase of this verse.

The Japanese armor workshop "Marutake" was originally established in 1958 as Marutake, a manufacturer of fishing rods.
As times changed, the founder Mr.Shinobu Tanoue, who had a passion for collecting armor and a strong background in craftsmanship, gradually shifted his focus to the production of traditional armor.
He took on the name "Kōnin" as an armor craftsman (katchūshi) and began training the artisans working under him, laying the foundation for what the workshop is today.
The workshop has been officially designated as a producer of Kagoshima Prefecture Traditional Crafts, and each piece is carefully handcrafted by skilled artisans with great dedication.
Traditional techniques from the period are faithfully followed, with meticulous attention paid to even the smallest details.
There are no blueprints—each suit of armor is a unique creation, carefully crafted by the artisan’s aesthetic sensibility and skill, one piece at a time.
Crafted with carefully selected materials and uncompromising attention to detail, each suit of armor is meticulously handmade by master artisans—an exceptional piece that embodies refined craftsmanship and offers a sense of timeless satisfaction.

• Japanese Armor Workshop "Marutake" made "Gunbai / commander's fan" – Fūrinkazan
  Product No. : JAC-MTS-504-03
  Materials : Wood, cotton, brass, gold powder
  Size : Approx. 60 cm in height, 26.5 cm in width, tassel length approx. 110 cm
  Weight : Approx. 370 g
  
• 1,000 JPY flat rate shipping within Japan, free shipping for purchases totaling 20,000 JPY or more.
  Please bear the actual cost for shipping charges outside Japan.