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.

A closing fan with twenty-three inner ribs of split bamboo with a painted cloud-like design on the base of each side and two bamboo parent ribs also with a painted design set into a dark rosewood piece into which the metal rivet has been placed. Fan face is rice paper with small pastoral scene painted at the centre top with seven writing characters on the left side of the face. Attached to the metal rivet, there are two light blue-green tassels, 25 cm. long, including the cord.