This folding fan was made in Japan, between the 1960s and 1980s, and appears to be hand-painted.
It shows a fiery red representation of Mt Fuji on both sides. The mountain appears with such a reddish cast at sunrise in the late summer and early autumn (a phenomenon called “akafuji”). (That the fan is hand-painted is evident from subtle variations in the brush-strokes on both sides).
The fan, when folded, measures about 1.5 inches across, just under 13 inches in length, and about 3/4 inch in width. A cardboard box (see picture) with "dancing fan" written on it in Japanese is included; the box itself is in very good condition and serves to protect the fan. The box has the address label of the Tomatsuya Fukui fan store in Kyoto.
The fan comes from the collection of a Kyoto-based performer in the traditional theatre. These fans were used in Shimai dance: a form that grew out of the Noh theatre tradition. Noh developed in medieval Japan, combining musical instrument performance, dance, narrative chanting, and recitation of dramatic dialogue. Noh plays continue to be performed six centuries later in the Japan of today, in both traditional and modernized forms. Shimai dances are often performed as a form of elegant entertainment, presenting a dance from a given Noh play, usually performed by a dancer in montsuki-hakama (the most formal attire for men) rather than in the unique costumes of a Noh theatrical performance. The dancer may or may not be accompanied by chanting but is not usually accompanied by musical instrumentation.