Fan Fun
Fan Art
1922 Emil Carlsen The French Fan
In the years before central air conditioning, a Ladies' fan was an essential tool, not only for comfort but also for communication. Made of wood or ivory and embellished with anything from small mirrors and jewels to portraits and feathers, fans were certainly a versatile accessory. Plain or fancy, with paint or lace trim, in any size or shape were certainly a necessity.
In their book, Accessories of Dress, Katherine Lester and Bess Oerke state that, "The great triumph of the fan in the 18th cy led to the establishment of certain conventions and gestures in handling the fan which were considered of first importance. In gesture, in repose, the lady was invariably revealed by the way she managed her fan! Though she possessed all the charms of beauty and distinction and failed in this, she passed quietly into social oblivion." With the fading of elaborate "Court Manners" during the Regency, the manipulation of the fan became of less importance, though it retained it's place "as a natural extension of feminine body language, slightly refined and channeled by precepts of etiquette." The art of "fluttering", (fanning one's self in a graceful, and at times, meaningful way) was said to take three months to master, and many girls doubtlessly spent hours practicing.
Fans with painted Miniatures, 1st half of the 18th Century
In the 18th century, Europeans still favored fans and loved everything symbolic. A fan was the most essential accessory in a prominent woman's wardrobe. The most popular fan of the day was the folding fan after the Asian styles. The sticks were elaborately carved of ivory, wood, mother of pearl and shells, and the leaves themselves were vellum paper. Women's fans had lace and ribbon, but men's fans were decorated with outdoor bucolic scenes or insects, religious pictures or the pictures of saints were also popular on the fans of the day. By the time Queen Victoria ruled Britain in the 19th century, fans were still popular for women, but the Queen did not like men waving fans. It was the Japanese that are credited with the true art form and language of fans, and it is thought that the folding of the fan was to replicate the wings of a bat. You said a lot about yourself when you used this type of fan. Many Asian fans are silk with stories painted on the side. Some of them include village life and marrying the landowner's daughter, Buddha in heaven, a long history of fishing for livelihood, lucky symbols of wealth and longevity such as the crane, farmers harvesting rice, pagodas and of course the dragon.
The secret language of fans was made up of many gestures and movements. Many of the gestures depict life-changing events.
MOISE SAUVE DES EAUX
France circa 1775
LA SAISON DES AMOURS
France, Circa 1780
Probably made in France in the late 18th century, this folding fan is made of paper, rosewood, and ivory. The decorations include representations of French documents and money, a medallion of King Louis, and printed cornucopia and urns.
In the past, hand fans were used not only as cooling instruments, but also as convenient communication devices, mainly for transmitting more or less furtive love messages.
A language of the fan, which is today completely forgotten, was widely used.
The Language of The Fan
Don't forget me - Moving hair away from forehead
Follow Me - Carrying in the right hand in front of face
I am sorry - Drawing across eyes
I belong to you - Dropping the fan
I don't trust you - Resting the fan on lips
I hate you - Drawing through hand
I like you - Looking closely at the painting on the fan
I love another - Twirling in right hand
I love you - Drawing across cheek
I love you so much - Fanning fast
I want to be engaged - Carrying the fan closed and hanging from right hand
I want to talk to you - Running fingers through the fans ribs
I wish to get rid of you - Twirling in left hand
I'm engaged - Carrying the fan closed and hanging from left hand
I'm getting jealous - Passing the fan from hand to hand
I'm impatient - Hitting any object
Kiss Me - With handle to lips
My love for you is breaking my heart - Resting the fan on heart
No - Letting it rest on left cheek
Stop flirting with that woman - Fanning with left hand
Wait for me - Open wide
We are being watched - Half-opening the fan over her face
Yes - Letting it rest on the right cheek
You are cruel - Open and shut
You have changed - Placing it on the left ear
You're ugly - Hiding the sunlight
You're wasting your time - Fannin slowly
1828 Pedro Antonio
Two Elegant Ladies Holding Fans
Eduardo Zamacois y Zabala
A Lady With A Fan
Castillan language of the fan
Fan held in the left hand: I am alone.
Fan held in the right hand: I am married/promised.
Fanning with the left hand: Come closer and chat with me
Fanning with the right hand: I wish to dance
Opening the fan in a brisk movement: Don't come near, wait for my signal.
Closing the fan in a brisk movement: You don't love me anymore.
Fan held close to the heart: You have conquered my heart.
Fan held close to the right shoulder: Do not betray our secret.
Fan resting against the right cheek: When can we meet alone?
Fan resting against the left cheek: You wound me.
Fan hiding the face with the right hand: Follow me.
Fan hiding the face with the left hand: I love another man.
Snatching the fan and holding it with both hands: Forgive me.
Snatching the fan, holding it with both hands and upside down: I promise that I will avenge myself from you.
Fan held against the lips: You can kiss me now.
Partially opening the fan: The number of ribs visible indicates a specific hour, counting from 9 o'clock in the morning.
Pretending to look attentively at the pattern of the fan: We are being watched.
Running a finger along the edge of the open fan: You are cruel to me.
1880 Mary Cassatt ,Lady with a Fan
1884 Vittorio Matteo Corcos ,The Feathered Fan
Albert Lynch ,A Lady with a Fan
1873 Éduard Manet ,Woman with Fans [Nina de Callias]
1912 The Peacock Fan
1880 Pierre Auguste Renoir ,Girl with a Fan
Theo van Rysselberghe ,Portrait of a Lady with a Fan
Alfred Stevens , La Dame A L'Eventail [The Lady with the Fan]
Albert Joseph Moore ,The Gilded fan
1875 James Jacques Joseph Tissot ,The Fan
1885 John Lavery, The RED Fan
Guillaume Vogels
A Still Life With Chrysanthemums And A Fan
1882 Henry Woods , A Venetian Fan Seller
1922 Emil Carlsen The French Fan
1922 Emil Carlsen The French Fan
In the years before central air conditioning, a Ladies' fan was an essential tool, not only for comfort but also for communication. Made of wood or ivory and embellished with anything from small mirrors and jewels to portraits and feathers, fans were certainly a versatile accessory. Plain or fancy, with paint or lace trim, in any size or shape were certainly a necessity.
In their book, Accessories of Dress, Katherine Lester and Bess Oerke state that, "The great triumph of the fan in the 18th cy led to the establishment of certain conventions and gestures in handling the fan which were considered of first importance. In gesture, in repose, the lady was invariably revealed by the way she managed her fan! Though she possessed all the charms of beauty and distinction and failed in this, she passed quietly into social oblivion." With the fading of elaborate "Court Manners" during the Regency, the manipulation of the fan became of less importance, though it retained it's place "as a natural extension of feminine body language, slightly refined and channeled by precepts of etiquette." The art of "fluttering", (fanning one's self in a graceful, and at times, meaningful way) was said to take three months to master, and many girls doubtlessly spent hours practicing.
Fans with painted Miniatures, 1st half of the 18th Century
In the 18th century, Europeans still favored fans and loved everything symbolic. A fan was the most essential accessory in a prominent woman's wardrobe. The most popular fan of the day was the folding fan after the Asian styles. The sticks were elaborately carved of ivory, wood, mother of pearl and shells, and the leaves themselves were vellum paper. Women's fans had lace and ribbon, but men's fans were decorated with outdoor bucolic scenes or insects, religious pictures or the pictures of saints were also popular on the fans of the day. By the time Queen Victoria ruled Britain in the 19th century, fans were still popular for women, but the Queen did not like men waving fans. It was the Japanese that are credited with the true art form and language of fans, and it is thought that the folding of the fan was to replicate the wings of a bat. You said a lot about yourself when you used this type of fan. Many Asian fans are silk with stories painted on the side. Some of them include village life and marrying the landowner's daughter, Buddha in heaven, a long history of fishing for livelihood, lucky symbols of wealth and longevity such as the crane, farmers harvesting rice, pagodas and of course the dragon.
The secret language of fans was made up of many gestures and movements. Many of the gestures depict life-changing events.
MOISE SAUVE DES EAUX
France circa 1775
LA SAISON DES AMOURS
France, Circa 1780
Probably made in France in the late 18th century, this folding fan is made of paper, rosewood, and ivory. The decorations include representations of French documents and money, a medallion of King Louis, and printed cornucopia and urns.
In the past, hand fans were used not only as cooling instruments, but also as convenient communication devices, mainly for transmitting more or less furtive love messages.
A language of the fan, which is today completely forgotten, was widely used.
The Language of The Fan
Don't forget me - Moving hair away from forehead
Follow Me - Carrying in the right hand in front of face
I am sorry - Drawing across eyes
I belong to you - Dropping the fan
I don't trust you - Resting the fan on lips
I hate you - Drawing through hand
I like you - Looking closely at the painting on the fan
I love another - Twirling in right hand
I love you - Drawing across cheek
I love you so much - Fanning fast
I want to be engaged - Carrying the fan closed and hanging from right hand
I want to talk to you - Running fingers through the fans ribs
I wish to get rid of you - Twirling in left hand
I'm engaged - Carrying the fan closed and hanging from left hand
I'm getting jealous - Passing the fan from hand to hand
I'm impatient - Hitting any object
Kiss Me - With handle to lips
My love for you is breaking my heart - Resting the fan on heart
No - Letting it rest on left cheek
Stop flirting with that woman - Fanning with left hand
Wait for me - Open wide
We are being watched - Half-opening the fan over her face
Yes - Letting it rest on the right cheek
You are cruel - Open and shut
You have changed - Placing it on the left ear
You're ugly - Hiding the sunlight
You're wasting your time - Fannin slowly
1828 Pedro Antonio
Two Elegant Ladies Holding Fans
Eduardo Zamacois y Zabala
A Lady With A Fan
Castillan language of the fan
Fan held in the left hand: I am alone.
Fan held in the right hand: I am married/promised.
Fanning with the left hand: Come closer and chat with me
Fanning with the right hand: I wish to dance
Opening the fan in a brisk movement: Don't come near, wait for my signal.
Closing the fan in a brisk movement: You don't love me anymore.
Fan held close to the heart: You have conquered my heart.
Fan held close to the right shoulder: Do not betray our secret.
Fan resting against the right cheek: When can we meet alone?
Fan resting against the left cheek: You wound me.
Fan hiding the face with the right hand: Follow me.
Fan hiding the face with the left hand: I love another man.
Snatching the fan and holding it with both hands: Forgive me.
Snatching the fan, holding it with both hands and upside down: I promise that I will avenge myself from you.
Fan held against the lips: You can kiss me now.
Partially opening the fan: The number of ribs visible indicates a specific hour, counting from 9 o'clock in the morning.
Pretending to look attentively at the pattern of the fan: We are being watched.
Running a finger along the edge of the open fan: You are cruel to me.
1880 Mary Cassatt ,Lady with a Fan
1884 Vittorio Matteo Corcos ,The Feathered Fan
Albert Lynch ,A Lady with a Fan
1873 Éduard Manet ,Woman with Fans [Nina de Callias]
1912 The Peacock Fan
1880 Pierre Auguste Renoir ,Girl with a Fan
Theo van Rysselberghe ,Portrait of a Lady with a Fan
Alfred Stevens , La Dame A L'Eventail [The Lady with the Fan]
Albert Joseph Moore ,The Gilded fan
1875 James Jacques Joseph Tissot ,The Fan
1885 John Lavery, The RED Fan
Guillaume Vogels
A Still Life With Chrysanthemums And A Fan
1882 Henry Woods , A Venetian Fan Seller
1922 Emil Carlsen The French Fan