Fans as fashion items and objects of desire are becoming increasingly rare. Fortunately many glamorous fans and their more humble relatives have been preserved in the Fan Museum at Greenwich, London.
Today, with the revival of burlesque dancing the ostrich fan is making a remarkable come-back. But where did it all begin?
The Fixed Hand Fan From the Middle East
The history of the fan begins in Egypt, three thousand years ago, where early civilisations used palm fronds as a cooling device and a means of threshing grain. This association with the Staff of Life gave status to the fan and it became a religious artefact. When the tomb of Tutankhamun was opened the remains of two beautiful fans were found amongst the treasures.
These early fans were 'fixed' - a wood or ivory handle was widened into a semi-circle into which feathers were secured. Fixed fans possibly arrived in Europe from the Middle East with Crusaders in the twelfth century.
Plunder of South America by the Conquistadores included feather fans, one of which was presented to Queen Isabella of Spain by Christopher Columbus in 1493. Elizabeth I is seen in several portraits holding this type of fan.
The Japanese Folding Hand Fan
For the invention of the folding fan Japan must take the credit, not Spain. According to legend, a Japanese animal-lover rescued a bat and was intrigued by the way its large wings could fold into a compact space yet, on expansion, create a vigorous breeze.
In the early sixteenth century Portuguese merchants opened up trade routes to the East and imported folding fans into Italy. Their popularity amongst the nobility spread across Europe.
Dress Fans and the French Revolution
In the eighteenth century the French saw the fan as a work of art. Painted by craftsmen on vellum or silk and with exquisitely embellished ivory, tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl sticks, French fans were sought-after status symbols and were the most desirable accessory.
The French Revolution saw the demise of the aristocracy, so skilled French artisans found the art of fan-making redundant. These factors contributed to the temporary demise of the elaborately embellished fan. After the French Revolution fans were smaller, reflecting the linear design of women's dress.
Sometimes even the absence of fans was significant. American ladies were bereft of French fans when the American Civil War put a stop to imports from France. When the war ended in 1867, the International Exhibition in Paris the following year saw male American visitors accompanied by wives and daughters who packed trunk-loads of fans to take home.
Dress Fans Reflect Social and Technological Change in Britain
From the 17th century onwards fans were imported in huge numbers from China into Europe by the East India company. In the 1870s, with colonial expansion, British fans increased in size. Ostrich feathers from South Africa and even small stuffed birds, were incorporated into fan design.
Further changes in 19th century included:
- With the Industrial Revolution came technological change - artificial ivory, machine-made lace and lithographical printing all contributed to the mass distribution of the fan.
- The souvenir fan became popular from the mid-eighteenth century with travellers on the Grand Tour.
- With the invention of photography, fans included photos of the Royal Family, stars of music hall and opera.
- Fans were promotional give-aways trumpeting the virtues of corsets, hats, snuff, cultural events or political propaganda.
More change came in the 20th century, including
- The Suffragette movement and the outbreak of the First World War made fans redundant as they were perceived as frivolous.
- Fan collections were sold to raise money for the Red Cross.
- Women's lives altered radically. Hands that once indulged in the coquettish language of the fan now had activities associated with work, driving cars and smoking cigarettes!
Today the fan is a useful, practical accessory for women. Only in Spain and the Middle East is it considered normal for both sexes to use it. It is classless, utilitarian yet still strangely provocative.
To learn more about fans and their history why not visit The Fan Museum in Greenwich, south London?
Source:
- Fans by Helene Alexander (Shire Publications, 2002)
See Also:
- Cheap Clothing Shopping at Finsbury Park London - a guide to North London's Saturday wholesale clothing area
- Vintage Clothing Outlets in London's East End - discover vintage clothing in Brick Lane, London.
- Shop Online to Buy Shoes for Problem Feet - tips for buying shoes on line if you have swollen, painful or large feet.
