Then & now: Cool and collectable
Used by all in 18th-century China, fans became a status symbol in the West as well as a means of expression, writes Jason Wordie
Fans have been used in China for centuries, by both men and women and by all social classes, from the wealthiest merchants and highest-ranking officials down to the poorest coolies. The fan remained a unisex accessory well into the 20th century and in now enjoying a noticeable renaissance, again among both genders.
Historically, the main difference between those of men and women was the number of ribs the fan had. One of the few cost variables was the material used. Ivory, tortoiseshell and hand-painted silk could be found on the expensive, high-end versions while thinly wrought bamboo and other materials were more commonplace. Carved sandalwood fans were particularly popular and retained their delicate fragrance for years.
A standard fan used in southern China was made from the Chinese fan palm (Livistona chinensis). The leaves of the plant resemble fans and can be either cut and edged, to prevent fraying, and used as nature designed, or stripped back to the central and radial spines and re-woven.
High quality Livistona fans were a village speciality in Sun Wui, one of the more prosperous Pearl River delta districts, from where they have been exported for centuries. Artistically wrought examples of the highest quality can still be found there.
Fans were first exported to Europe by early Portuguese navigators and, by the end of the 16th century, they had become highly prized items in that part of the world. Unlike spices and other more perishable articles, fans (if properly packed and stored) could survive lengthy sea voyages without damage.
As China's trade with Europe burgeoned in the late 17th century, fans, along with tea, silk and porcelain, became extremely sought after, high-margin fashion accessories. They served a variety of uses: the flick or snap of a fan could be an emphatic gesture - graceful, pointed or anything in between; they could be whispered behind to prevent lip-reading; they could cover the blushes, frowns and giggles caused by coarse or otherwise inappropriate remarks; and - of course - they had a cooling purpose. Initially in Europe - as in China - they were a unisex item. By the mid-18th century, however, they had become exclusively a female accessory.