What was the purpose of the Victorian hand fan?
Roughly 3,000 years later, fans were still being used to keep pests at bay, only this time they were held by young Victorian women, who would shoo away unworthy suitors by slowly fanning themselves. “Don’t waste your time,” was the explicit, ego-deflating message.
What was the message of antique hand fans?
“Don’t waste your time,” was the explicit, ego-deflating message. When we think of antique fans, we usually picture the folding varieties, but this style is a relatively recent development in the fan’s vast timeline. Once they arrived in the West in the 17th century, however, they quickly took over.
What kind of fans were used in China?
In China, painted hand fans came into their own during the Song Dynasty, between the years 960 and 1279. Personal bian mian fans, used to cover the face, were rigid and rounded, usually made of silk stretched over a wooden frame.
What kind of fans did the royal family use?
They served as standards, and were borne only by royal princes, or men of high rank and approved bravery. Hand-screen fans made of leaves and of ostrich feathers were also in general use. In the British Museum may be seen specimens with half-yard-long wooden handles.
What kind of hand fans are for sale?
Vintage Hand Fans 1 Regular folding fan – This opens into a half circle shape or just larger. 2 Cockade fans- This style opens into a full circle. 3 Fontage fans – This creates a shell shape with the middle sticks being longer than the outer ones. 4 Brise Fan – This is a folding fan with no leaf.
What kind of material was used for Victorian hand fans?
During the Victorian era, ostrich feathers dyed in a rainbow of colors were attached to ivory or tortoise-shell sticks. With the advent of plastic, these precious materials were replaced by celluloid, and some of these celluloid sticks were so wide that they doubled as the fan’s leaf.
“Don’t waste your time,” was the explicit, ego-deflating message. When we think of antique fans, we usually picture the folding varieties, but this style is a relatively recent development in the fan’s vast timeline. Once they arrived in the West in the 17th century, however, they quickly took over.
What kind of hand fan has no leaf?
Brise Fan – This is a folding fan with no leaf. The sticks are flatter and wider and create the leaf themselves. These are often made out of one material. Non-folding fans – These are paddle hand fans or any flat shape attached to a handle.
