Imagine, you are living in in the 1600's in Japan. It is early morning and you are getting ready for the day. You are already dressed and now you need to collect the accessories which you need to appear fully prepared for society. One of the most important of these is your fan. Now, you have a range of fans to choose from, and you must make sure you choose the correct type. Choosing a fan is not straight forward - there are different fans for different purposes and which you will choose depends on what you will be doing today.
When I presented this 'imagine' story to the children at school they immediately assumed I was talking about a woman. Today we think of fans as pretty accessories, firmly associated with girls. Films and television, especially shows set in the past, often show women carrying fans but rarely show men using them. In the past though, fans were an important part of daily life for both men and women, especially in Japan. The children were also fascinated by the idea of different types of fan. To them, fans are simply used for one reason - to cool down on a hot day. This was not always the case though!
The fan was not invented by the Japanese, though the 'fan proper' certainly comes from Japan, first appearing held by the Japanese God of Happiness. Basic fans, used simply as a way of cooling yourself or somebody else appear in ancient artworks in many different areas, from Egypt to India. The very earliest of these were probably made of palm leaves, which are already a convenient fan shape without needing too much alteration. Other fans were made of feathers and later, of silk and material made into little screens. None of these fans could fold as we are used to today, being a rigid design like the one in the photo above. That fan is actually an example of a fan given out for free as a way of advertising companies, people or places! Folding fans were created in Japan over 1000 years ago and then traveled to China. In the 1500's folding fans traveled to Portugal from China and from there to the Western World. If you would like to learn more about the history of the fan click here.
The folding fan is made by creating a basic frame made up of wooden blades and a mount (the decorative screen) which is then place across this frame. The mount is often made of paper which is folded, but can also be made of fabric like silk. Sometimes feathers are even used! The mount is decorated and then folded to fit over the frame which is usually made of thin wood, like bamboo. The way which the blades of the fan spread out was thought by many in Japan to represent the tree of life because of the way it branches out from a single base. The screen is then slid onto this frame and the ends are glued to ensure it fits tightly. Paper fans, like the one shown here, are made by putting two of the paper mounts together and leaving long thin holes in between the two layers which the spokes can then fit into. To learn more about how Japanese fans are made click here.
From the 1500's through to the late 1800's, no European woman was fully dressed without a fan! There was even a language developed which allowed women to tell people, especially the men who were hoping to court (date) them what they thought and felt. By letting the fan rest against your right cheek you could say 'yes' and by letting it rest against your left cheek you could say 'no'. You could tell someone you were married or engaged, even that you hated them! If you would like to learn more about the language of the fan, and see some examples of it visit the Royal Collection's website by clicking here.
In Japan, fans were an important aspect of life, used not only as a way of cooling but for many other reasons by both men and women. They could be used in ceremonies, as part of exercise, as part of dances, or even on the battle field! To match the many different purposes, there are many different types of fan, some of which anybody could carry, some of which were used by Priests and people who were part of the Imperial Court (Royal Court). To learn more about the different types of fans click here. Fans could even be used as a weapon! Samuri carried a type of fan called a Tessen which was a iron fan which could be taken places where a sword could not be carried. If you would like to learn more the Tessen, click here.
Thank-you to Edo Arts for these wonderful fans! If you would like to start your own collection of Japanese Fans, or other beautiful Japanese items, you can find Edo Arts at 321 Mona Vale Rd, Terrey Hills, Sydney, Australia or visit their website by clicking here.