Sesson Uchiwa is a fan designated as an Ibaraki Prefecture Folk Craft, passed down in Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture. It is said to have originated when the itinerant Buddhist painter-monk Sesson Shukei, who stayed in the area during the Muromachi period, gave out fans on which he had painted ink-wash pictures. The ribs are made by splitting local madake bamboo into thin strips and weaving them together with rush (igusa), and the fan is finished by pasting on the sturdy local washi paper 'Nishinouchi-gami,' made in nearby Hitachiomiya City. The designs—featuring motifs such as horses, morning glories, scarecrows, and the Eight Views of Mito—are drawn from the landscape and bird-and-flower paintings associated with Sesson, and the fans are said to have also been favored by Tokugawa Mitsukuni, the second lord of the Mito Domain. Because every one of the 33 steps, from harvesting the bamboo to finishing, is done entirely by hand, only around 2,000 fans are produced each year. A single shop has carried on the craft as a family business for more than 200 years since the Edo period, and today the fourth generation is the sole remaining maker.
Origin
The origin of Sesson Uchiwa is said to date to the late Muromachi period, when the itinerant painter-monk Sesson Shukei, while staying in what is now Hitachiota City, gave fans painted with ink-wash pictures to local people. Sesson studied the styles of Sesshu and Chinese painting techniques, and was known for his bold brushwork depicting birds, flowers, and landscapes; he is also said to have taught painting to the lord of Aizu Kurokawa Castle. The motifs painted on the fans—horses, morning glories, scarecrows, and the Eight Views of Mito—are all subjects closely associated with Sesson.
History
In the Edo period, Tokugawa Mitsukuni, the second lord of the Mito Domain, is also said to have favored Sesson Uchiwa, and for more than 200 years since then, a single shop in Hitachiota City has carried on the craft as a family business. The labor-intensive process of 33 steps, from harvesting the bamboo to finishing, all done by hand, has been preserved to this day, and the fourth generation, Akutsu Fusako, now carries on as the sole maker. Designated an Ibaraki Prefecture Folk Craft, it is known as one of the region's representative crafts.
Features
The fans are made by splitting local madake bamboo into thin ribs, weaving in rush (igusa) crosswise, and finishing with the sturdy local washi paper 'Nishinouchi-gami,' made in Hitachiomiya City. The step of splitting the bamboo thinly is said to be the most difficult, and the bamboo is dried in the sun for more than eight months to become a sturdy, long-lasting material. The designs—horses, morning glories, scarecrows, and the Eight Views of Mito, among other subjects associated with Sesson—are combined with a square shape and high durability. Because of the labor-intensive process, only around 2,000 fans are produced each year.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Selecting and preparing the bamboo
Local madake bamboo is selected, split into thin strips, and then dried in the sun for more than eight months to produce a sturdy, supple material for the ribs.
- 2
Building the frame
The thinly split bamboo strips are arranged radially to form the fan's frame. Splitting the bamboo to an even thinness is said to be the most difficult step.
- 3
Weaving the rush
Rush (igusa) is woven crosswise into the frame to prepare a base for pasting the paper.
- 4
Pasting the paper
The sturdy washi 'Nishinouchi-gami,' made in Hitachiomiya City, is pasted onto the frame.
- 5
Drying and finishing
After the pasted paper has thoroughly dried, the edges are trimmed and shaped to finish. In total, all 33 steps are carried out entirely by hand.
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Artisans & Workshops
枡儀団扇店
A family-run shop in the Hanawa-cho area of Hitachiota City that has made Sesson Uchiwa for more than 200 years. Fourth-generation maker Akutsu Fusako is the sole remaining artisan, carrying out every step by hand, from selecting the bamboo to painting the designs.
How to Buy
- Masugi Uchiwa-ten (Direct sale)
- Makes and sells Sesson Uchiwa in around three small sizes and about twenty large sizes. Because of the labor-intensive process, annual production is limited, though the fans are sometimes also available at local specialty shops in Hitachiota City.