Few art forms combine functional, ceremonial and decorative uses as elegantly as the fan. Fewer still can match such diversity with a history stretching back at least 3000 years. Pictorial records of the earliest fans date from around 3000BC and there is evidence that the Greeks, the Etruscans and Romans all used fans as cooling, and ceremonial devices, whilst Chinese literary sources associate the fan with ancient mythical and historical characters.
Fans are of Oriental origin and their design and role has changed dramatically down the ages. Originally they had purely practical functions - to keep the user cool, to fan the flames of the fire or to ward of flies. It was not long before they began to acquire ritual and social significance. Fans were an essential part of social etiquette - ladies would use them to flirt behind or to indicate pleasure or approval.
The folding fan, which probably originated in Japan, made a fan highly portable, since it could be folded away and slipped into a sleeve, pouch or bag. They had delicate ivory sticks and leaves of paper, leather or white kid delicately painted with classical and mythological scenes. In the 1800’s many fans were painted with 1700’s scenes.
Early fans were all of the fixed type, and the folding fan does not appear either in the East or the West until relatively late in its history.
The first folding fans were inspired by and copied from prototypes brought into Europe by merchant traders and religious orders who had set up colonies along the coasts of China and even Japan. These early fans were reserved for Royalty and the nobility and, as expensive toys; they were regarded as a status symbol. While their “montures” (i.e. sticks and guards) were made from materials such as ivory, mother of pearl and tortoise shell, often carved and pierced and ornamented with silver, gold and precious stones, the leaves were well painted by craftsmen who gradually amalgamated into guilds.
Fans are of Oriental origin and their design and role has changed dramatically down the ages. Originally they had purely practical functions - to keep the user cool, to fan the flames of the fire or to ward of flies. It was not long before they began to acquire ritual and social significance. Fans were an essential part of social etiquette - ladies would use them to flirt behind or to indicate pleasure or approval.
The folding fan, which probably originated in Japan, made a fan highly portable, since it could be folded away and slipped into a sleeve, pouch or bag. They had delicate ivory sticks and leaves of paper, leather or white kid delicately painted with classical and mythological scenes. In the 1800’s many fans were painted with 1700’s scenes.
Early fans were all of the fixed type, and the folding fan does not appear either in the East or the West until relatively late in its history.
The first folding fans were inspired by and copied from prototypes brought into Europe by merchant traders and religious orders who had set up colonies along the coasts of China and even Japan. These early fans were reserved for Royalty and the nobility and, as expensive toys; they were regarded as a status symbol. While their “montures” (i.e. sticks and guards) were made from materials such as ivory, mother of pearl and tortoise shell, often carved and pierced and ornamented with silver, gold and precious stones, the leaves were well painted by craftsmen who gradually amalgamated into guilds.
Fans in the 1700’s and 1800’s
By the 1700’s fans were being made throughout Europe, while at the same time, fans imported from China by the East India Companies were ever popular.
Printed fans often commemorative make an appearance from the 1720’s onwards as makers felt a necessity to expand their trade and produce cheaper pieces. Some of the English fans printed after the 1734 Copyright Act still have their publication lines with the name of the fan maker, and/or engraver and his address and date of publication. Although printed fans were cheap at the time, they were ephemeral and are now much sort after. Some with rare and interesting subjects such as the 1727 coronation, the Battle of Culloden in 1745, and the New Game of Piquet in 1733 have fetched almost as much as comparable painted fans. Some subjects are amusing and entertaining, such as Conundrum fans. Most 1700’s fans are etchings but all other types of prints do appear on fans.
By the end of the 1700’s with the cheaper printed ones in production, fans were available to every strata of society in Europe and related to an endless variety of subjects – from Nelson’s Victory of the Nile to instructions on “How to play Whist, and not loose your temper!” In the 1800’s (with its early political turmoil), fans again reflected times in the small braise horn fans so popular in the 1820’s. The Great Exhibition of 1851, however, was to be a watershed for fan production, bringing it into modern times, with patented inventions and a renewal of interest in fine materials and painting. Arguably the most lavish fans date from the third quarter of the century. And it should also be remembered that artists who painted these fans were often fashionable painters of their day who signed their work.
The fans of the early 1800’s are mainly very small brise ones of ivory or horn. A few late 1700’s and early 1800’s brise fans were extremely well painted in the manner of Angelica Kauffman. From the 1850’s to 1890’s some very fine lace fans were produced with mainly Honiton, Brussels, Chantilly or Carrickmacross laces.
Many fans from the second half of the 1800’s are signed but often by little know decorative artists. However some very fine fans were produced in the 1860’s to 1890’s by artists such as A Solde and Callamtta Billotey who also painted on glass, painted fine fan mounts on silk gauze of flowers and insects for the well-known fan makers Duvelleroy. A number of traditionalist genre painters like Olivier de Pense in France and Richard Doyle in England painted mounts for fans. Compared with leaves by fan painters, these are very reasonable in price, unlike fans painted in the Art Nouveau style. In the 1890’s Duvelleroy produced very fine double-sided fans depicting romantic subjects for the English market.
From the 1700’s onwards fans often incorporate novelties. One finds middle 1700’s double image fans, with three or four different scenes and when opened the wrong way from right to left, a hidden scene is revealed. Some fans of this type are painted with risqué images. There are also double image brise fans from the 1820’s, spy hole fans, fans with carved handles and telescopic fans, parasol fans and collapsible fans.
Printed fans often commemorative make an appearance from the 1720’s onwards as makers felt a necessity to expand their trade and produce cheaper pieces. Some of the English fans printed after the 1734 Copyright Act still have their publication lines with the name of the fan maker, and/or engraver and his address and date of publication. Although printed fans were cheap at the time, they were ephemeral and are now much sort after. Some with rare and interesting subjects such as the 1727 coronation, the Battle of Culloden in 1745, and the New Game of Piquet in 1733 have fetched almost as much as comparable painted fans. Some subjects are amusing and entertaining, such as Conundrum fans. Most 1700’s fans are etchings but all other types of prints do appear on fans.
By the end of the 1700’s with the cheaper printed ones in production, fans were available to every strata of society in Europe and related to an endless variety of subjects – from Nelson’s Victory of the Nile to instructions on “How to play Whist, and not loose your temper!” In the 1800’s (with its early political turmoil), fans again reflected times in the small braise horn fans so popular in the 1820’s. The Great Exhibition of 1851, however, was to be a watershed for fan production, bringing it into modern times, with patented inventions and a renewal of interest in fine materials and painting. Arguably the most lavish fans date from the third quarter of the century. And it should also be remembered that artists who painted these fans were often fashionable painters of their day who signed their work.
The fans of the early 1800’s are mainly very small brise ones of ivory or horn. A few late 1700’s and early 1800’s brise fans were extremely well painted in the manner of Angelica Kauffman. From the 1850’s to 1890’s some very fine lace fans were produced with mainly Honiton, Brussels, Chantilly or Carrickmacross laces.
Many fans from the second half of the 1800’s are signed but often by little know decorative artists. However some very fine fans were produced in the 1860’s to 1890’s by artists such as A Solde and Callamtta Billotey who also painted on glass, painted fine fan mounts on silk gauze of flowers and insects for the well-known fan makers Duvelleroy. A number of traditionalist genre painters like Olivier de Pense in France and Richard Doyle in England painted mounts for fans. Compared with leaves by fan painters, these are very reasonable in price, unlike fans painted in the Art Nouveau style. In the 1890’s Duvelleroy produced very fine double-sided fans depicting romantic subjects for the English market.
From the 1700’s onwards fans often incorporate novelties. One finds middle 1700’s double image fans, with three or four different scenes and when opened the wrong way from right to left, a hidden scene is revealed. Some fans of this type are painted with risqué images. There are also double image brise fans from the 1820’s, spy hole fans, fans with carved handles and telescopic fans, parasol fans and collapsible fans.
Fans in the 1900’s
Fans again mirrored the social and economical times in the 1900’s, with the rise of advertising, and a more utilitarian and wasteful society. Today, in Europe, only in Spain is the fan part of everyday life, as it still remains in most hot countries, particularly in the Far East, and especially in Japan.
Rigid fans were used by ancient cultures and in Renaissance Europe, while folding fans were brought to Europe from China, by Portuguese traders in the 1400’s. In 1600’s and 1700’s Europe, fans were an essential part of social etiquette – ladies would use them to flirt behind or to indicate pleasure or approval.
They had delicate ivory sticks and leaves of paper, leather or white kid delicately painted with classical and mythological scenes. From about 1725 mass-produced fans were made with printed leaves, which were often poor in design and colouring. From 1750, fans printed with advertising messages were produced. In the 1800’s many fans were printed with 1700’s scenes and the key to identifying them is the shape and style of the sticks, which generally became more elaborate as time went by.
Rigid fans were used by ancient cultures and in Renaissance Europe, while folding fans were brought to Europe from China, by Portuguese traders in the 1400’s. In 1600’s and 1700’s Europe, fans were an essential part of social etiquette – ladies would use them to flirt behind or to indicate pleasure or approval.
They had delicate ivory sticks and leaves of paper, leather or white kid delicately painted with classical and mythological scenes. From about 1725 mass-produced fans were made with printed leaves, which were often poor in design and colouring. From 1750, fans printed with advertising messages were produced. In the 1800’s many fans were printed with 1700’s scenes and the key to identifying them is the shape and style of the sticks, which generally became more elaborate as time went by.
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