A brise fan is one which consists of a set of sticks and guards with no pleated leaf such as a folding fan has, often being held together by only the rivet at the bottom and a ribbon or cord at the top. The sticks are generally the same length as the guards and can be decorated in a variety of techniques, such as carving, piercing, painting, etc. Feathers may also be added to the sticks. (Information obtained from http://www.geocities.com/Paris/7298/Def.html.)