Samurai Gear: Fan and Geta

Two pieces to Peri's "Courtly" attire will include the traditional folding fan and a pair of Japanese Geta sandals. Brief explanations are below.

Folding Fan (Akomeogi) - The traditional "Folding fan" was actually developed in Japan somewhere between the 6 - 8th centuries, and most often consists of bamboo (though also sometimes cedar or other woods) blades with a cloth or paper covering. The most obvious use for the fan was to cool oneself during hot Japanese summers, but over time both nobles and peasants developed other uses and meanings. Most notably, the fan came to symbolize friendship and peace, and was also a prominent piece in dance and other performing arts. I also find that it is fascinating that the fan evolved to include a few combat variants (the tessen, the gunsen and the gunbai) which featured iron ribs and sometimes metal coverings, and was used by generals to signal their troops, direct movements, and also as a parry-weapon in close-quarters combat. The fan was considered to be so universally useful, in fact, that it was considered a simply necessity of attire, even by Samurai men whether on the battlefield or in the most lofty court of government. The fan featured here for Peri will match her kimono (described in another post), and will fit snuggly at her side inside her primary obi (belt/sash).

Shoes (Geta) - Most people would recognize

traditional Japanese Geta sandals because they have a very distinctive look (first pic here). A common (rather squarish) block of wood and simple, padded or rope strap worn "flip flop style" with one to two long vertical planks beneath each foot gave the Japanese wearer the ability to move through mud and grime that often accumulated on the ground after monsoon rains without getting their tabi (socks) or feet dirty, and also made a funny,

woody rhythm when they walked (some have said that the term "geta" is actually an onomatopoeia for the sound that they make when walking "ge-ta-ge-ta-ge-ta-ge-ta"). While we wanted to keep the same look and feel, we opted for a bit more modern version of the sandals that we thought would be more comfortable for Peri's feet (she's ki

nd of picky about footwear). Pic attached.