joeb-sun (Folding Fan)

Folding fans were used by members of the official “Yangban” class, and sometimes by women of other classes. Korean folding fans were very well-made, and were exported to China and Japan during the Koryo and Chosun Periods. Some had a large number of fine ribs.

The light coloured oiled paper indicates that this fan was used by a male scholar.

A closing fan made of twenty-eight smooth flat ribs of split bamboo narrowing where they are attached to the fan of yellow brown oiled paper. A curvilinear design is burned on the base of each side of each rib. End pieces of the fan are strips of bamboo with the nodes prominent and a design burned on of dots and curvilinear motifs. Handle of the fan is of black wood fastened by a metal rivet with a small ring on one side.