There is no source, except for numerous stories and legends, that could tell us with certainty more about the origin of the fan, that charming object that has been a companion of numerous civilizations for centuries. Obviously, there has always been a need for an object that provides both shade and a gentle breeze with a light movement of the hand. It is assumed that the first fans were created in the distant past. They were simple, made of palm branches, and over time, they evolved into true pieces of art in a quiet, almost noiseless manner.
Interesting is the connection between the fan and birds present in many cultures. Obviously, the bird’s wing was the inspiration for the creation of the fan. In India, for example, the name for fan is “panka”, which comes from the word “pankh” meaning “feather” or “bird’s wing”. The same meaning is also found in “shan”, the Chinese name for fan.
Egypt
In numerous drawings in Egyptian temples, there are figures holding fans: from simple palm branches to large and decorative ones. Exquisite fans were used for refreshing in hot and dry climates, as well as for ceremonial purposes when they were carried as a symbol of royal dignity in royal processions. Therefore, the discovery made by Howard Carter in Tutankhamun’s tomb is very interesting, as he found 8 smaller and 7 larger fans. All the fans found were semi-circular in shape, and one particularly stands out – a small handheld fan measuring 18 cm in length, which was stored in a white wooden box and is believed to have belonged to Tutankhamun. H. Carter wrote: “This delightful artifact seems to have escaped the passage of time, as numerous civilizations have risen and fallen since this fan was stored. This valuable and rare, yet familiar object creates a connection between us and the magnificent past, helping us understand that the young king was very similar to us.”
The first of the larger fans with a long handle is called the golden fan. The length of the handle is 1.015 m, and it was held with both hands. The surface of the fan was covered with gold. On the front side, a pharaoh in the hunt for ostriches is depicted with very delicate engraving, and on the back, the magnificent return of the pharaoh from the hunt, carrying esteemed ostrich feathers in his hand. This fan was adorned with 42 ostrich feathers that have not been preserved. Similar fans were also made from papyrus, lotus flower, and palm.
China
The Chinese probably have the oldest historical records of continuous fan production. They have a separate name for each of the numerous types, while the term shan is common to all types. In the early days of production, the yu-shan, a fan made of bird feathers, usually goose, pheasant, peacock, crane, rooster, or falcon feathers, was popular. Large fans on long sticks were used in imperial processions, with two equal ones in pairs, and were made of feathers and luxurious materials.
Masters of fan making quickly took an important place in Chinese art because it is precisely the refined lines, simplicity of themes, and beautiful composition that make fans become revered objects. Objects that combine art and practical application. The shape itself has changed over centuries, from round and oval to hexagonal, square, and floral. The surface was made of brocade, silk, embroidered fabrics, and the handle was most commonly made of ivory, gold, silver, and precious types of wood. Painted fans were made of white silk or high-quality decorative paper, and although small, such a surface served as a canvas. The tradition of painting and inscribing fans was recorded very early on. As early as 33 AD, Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty inscribed his own poems on fans. During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), oval painted fans were extremely popular in the imperial palace. They were often removed from their frames and stored in special albums, which is why they have been preserved to this day. Fan makers only started signing their works in the 16th century. When a fan became worn out, only the paper or fabric would be replaced: the construction, the If it was undamaged, it remained the same, as fans with a patina from use were highly valued. The paper was specially prepared by coating it with gold leaf to make it water-resistant. The master approached the choice of materials, details, and motifs very seriously, and his personal choice was respected.
Throughout Chinese history, the fan was a place where three top Chinese arts – painting, calligraphy, and poetry – converged, creating unique works of art.
With the proclamation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, traditional China, and with it, the fan, seemed to disappear overnight. Fans continued to be produced, and landscapes remained a common motif, but the belief in the fan as a symbol of flight towards immortality faded. It was as if only shadows remained of the long and rich history of the fan.
Japan
In the 6th century, fans arrived in Japan, where the first folding fan, or hi-ogi, was created, which was essential In the following centuries, the most popular form of fan remained. There were three main types of folding fans: feather-decorated fan, classic folding fan (uchiwa or ogi), covered in fabric, and the so-called hokkan fan (known as brise in Europe), made of solid parts (ribs, slats) connected with rivets and adorned with a ribbon or a bunch of threads. According to the story, such a fan was created when a courtier connected thin wooden boards that court officials used for writing. The creation of the classic folding fan was supposedly inspired by a bat’s wing. Since the 10th century, it was given as a sign of respect from the Japanese court to the Chinese and then returned to its homeland in a slightly modified form.
Higoi is the term for a fan used exclusively for ceremonial purposes at the court, never for cooling. It is an obligatory part of the ceremonial equipment still used today by Shinto priests and the imperial court during coronations and weddings. It was made of 34 or 38 wooden slats. The fans were connected to each other with metal rivets in the shape of a butterfly on the front and a bird on the back. Instead of rivets, the empress’s fan had a connection made of paper tape, and on both types of imperial fans, the slats at the bottom were connected with silk thread. The face of the fan was painted with vibrant colors, depicting motifs of pine trees, chrysanthemums, plum or cherry blossoms, and sometimes birds on a white background surrounded by golden and silver clouds, often bordered with red, blue, green, or lilac.
Around 1550, the famous tea ceremony master Sen no Rikyu introduced the rikiu-ogi fan into the ceremony, which was used exclusively for serving cookies during the tea ceremony.
In Japanese Noh drama, the chukei fan plays an important role, made of simple bamboo sticks and paper. Its appearance changed over the centuries, and there was a difference between the fan used by chorus actors and soloists, which was larger and painted red. It was an integral part The actor would use it in this esteemed combination of dance, movement, acting, and singing to shape gestures and emotions towards the audience with emphasized movements.
It is interesting that in Japan, the fan was a mandatory New Year’s gift as well as a gift for boys when they turned 16.
With Japan’s opening to the world in the 19th century, numerous fan factories were opened, and in their original form, they became popular in the West and one of the main synonyms for exotic Japan. They became more ornate, with numerous carved elements, and folding fans on which motifs were imprinted became extremely popular. Kyoto remains the capital in the production of traditional Japanese fans to this day, and a touch of that past can still be felt in the old city center.
In Europe, as early as the 6th century, a ceremonial fan, flabellum, resembling a large and elaborately decorated umbrella, was used during church processions. The journey towards handheld fans in Europe However, they were only discovered in the second half of the 16th century. It is assumed that they appeared earlier, but went unnoticed because they clearly did not fit the fashion taste of Europe at that time, until artists and craftsmen replaced the Far East style with the European one, which led to fans becoming extremely popular. Sturdy fans, fans resembling flags on short handles, folding fans, all abound in details such as carved handles, decorative pom-poms, and various materials, with leather being the most commonly used. This marks the beginning of a period of extravagance in which it seemed like anything was allowed. Decorative elements such as pearls, turtle shell armor, gold, and silver began to be used. Dark leather is very often the base on which artists draw small, but highly valuable artistic works of classical or biblical themes. One of the oldest preserved fans, a brise type fan, dates back to 1620. It is made up of seven parts, with wooden ribs, of which Each fan is shaped like an ostrich feather. The fan is made in Florence, then one of the centers for fan production.
During the Baroque period, works of great masters were often transferred onto fans and details such as intricately carved ivory slats or lace on the frames became indispensable. In the 18th century, the chinoiserie style, depicting Chinese way of life in three small vignettes integrated into the established opulence of European fans, became very popular in Europe. Fans were also highly valued gifts in Europe, with suitors presenting them to their chosen ones as an expression of favor. Fans were also a suitable wedding gift, proudly worn by the bride on her wedding day as a valuable decoration. In the 18th century, collecting became popular, collections were established, and the first private exhibitions were held, making fans an interesting souvenir.
Numerous events in the 20th century threw the fan off the stage of public life, like a strong wind, so it is unusual to use them in modern times. Today, the fans bring us only a hint of nostalgia for the past times.