The mysterious language of fans

The fan is believed to have originated in China in the 7th century, although it was depicted in wall paintings in ancient Egypt, Assyria, and Persia. It spread to Japan, where it was discovered by the Europeans and taken to Europe at the end of the 15th century.

Two-sided paper hand fan
Origin: China
Material: Ivory, silk, metal, paint, notch, montage, collage
Two-sided hand fan of paper, painted with Chinese palatial scenes, with human figures with ivory heads. Sixteen ivory sticks hollowed and carved. Master sticks embellished with floral motifs and oriental landscape. Gold metal handle. Tassels in silk threads in shades of purple.

The fan, which is a device for creating airflow while also being used as an adornment, had its own "language" at the 18th-century French court, especially during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV.

Paper hand fan
Origin: Paris, France
Material: Ivory, paper, print, engraving, notch, collage, montage
Advertising hand fan of printed paper. In the center is a pastoral scene from the 18th century and medallions with female heads and flower garland. In the back, in orange, garlands, bows and musical instruments. Embroidered with gold sequins. Seventeen ivory sticks, including master sticks. Gold metal handle. Sticks engraved with flowers. Ivory buttons.

Purse silk fan
Origin: Germany
Material: Silk, silver, metal, foundry, paint, embroidery, lace, montage
Silk purse fan with hand-painted floral motifs (blue and pink flowers) on a tulle leaf. Embroidered with small silver sequins and bordered with lace. Silver handle and buttons.

In Brazil, the use of fans were spreaded in the 19th century, with the arrival of the Portuguese royal family. King John VI of Portugal was also responsible for introducing the use of commemorative fans depicting key moments in Brazilian history.

Hand-painted paper hand fan
Author: S. Grand
Material: Wood, paper, montage, collage, paint
Hand-painted paper hand fan, with the flags of France and England, cannon, and female figure, in the background country landscape. Thirteen sticks in dark wood, two plain master sticks. Metal handles and buttons.

During the golden age of the fan, it was used by men and women as a means for a couple to communicate by sending discreet messages based on the position of the fan in relation to the body.

Deck type hand fan
Origin: Italy
Material: Wood, metal, montage, paint, collage, satin
Deck type hand fan, with seventeen wooden sticks, rounded at the ends and fastened by satin ribbon. In the center, hand-painted St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, predominating the shades of blue. Straight and slightly bulging sticks. Metal handle and button.

Black fabric Fan
Material: Plastic, fabric / cloth, assembly, collage, painting
Fan with 17 sticks, including guards, in silver. Leaf in black fabric with floral decoration in the center, and on the right and left sides, depicting flowers and branches covered in leaves in red, pink, blue, white, yellow, purple, and green.

Sandalwood deck type hand fan
Material: Wood, sandalwood, silk, clipping, notch, montage
Sandalwood deck type hand fan, with fourteen cut-out sticks forming rosettes, linked by beige silk ribbon. Two plain flat sticks. Border trimmed in volute. Silver metal handle and buttons.

White and brown feather Fan
Material: Feather, vegetable fiber, assembly, collage
Fan with seven sticks. Made from bird feathers in white and various shades of brown. "Monture" made from plant fiber (patchouli), tied with a green ribbon. Wire ribs covered with brown thread. This fan belonged to Henriqueta Brieba.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, fans even had different uses. Mourning fans, for example, were made primarily from black ostrich feathers with tortoiseshell handles. They later featured black lace or silk, and dark embellishments.

Black ostrich feather hand fan
Material: Turtle, feather, metal, notch, satin, collage, montage
Black ostrich feather hand fan. Seventeen dark turtle rods united by black satin ribbon. Light turtle handle.

Black lace and organza Fan
Material: Turtle, cotton, lace, collage, embroidery, paint, montage
Fan in black lace and organza. In the center are the initials "B" and "T," surmounted by a countess's crown and flanked by cherubs. Eighteen sticks in dark tortoiseshell, decorated with floral and harp motifs in gold and silver. Black ribbon with a loop for hanging

Unlike mourning fans, wedding fans were usually white or beige, decorated with stones or pearls, and finished in gold or silver.

White lace hand fan
Material: ivory, silk, metal, montage, lace, embroidery, paint, engraving
Fan in white lace, embroidered with metallic thread. In the center, medallion with couple representing court scene. Eighteen ivory sticks, cast and engraved in silver. Silver metal handle and button. Tassel in light beige silk.

Some interesting facts about the "language" of fans and how ladies conducted themselves when using a fan include: "I love you"—hiding the eyes behind an open fan; "Come here"—walking and pointing with the fan held open in the left hand; "I love another"—twirling the fan in front of the face with the left hand; "When can we meet?"—open fan resting against the neck; "Don't forget me"—touching the hair with a closed fan; "Goodbye"—opening and closing the fan; "Yes"—resting the fan on the right side of the face; "No"—resting the fan on the left side of the face; "I need to speak to you"—touching the fan with the fingertips.

Black silk hand fan
Material: Silk, wood, paint, embroidery, montage, collage
Black silk hand fan, hand-painted, with floral motifs: branches embroidered with strings and green and gold metal sequins. In the center is the figure of a hat and bird with garland. Fifteen sticks in black wood interspersed with friezes and golden and silver flowers. Metal handle and button.

Beige paper Fan
Material: Paper, wood, paint, notch, collage, montage
Fan with a beige paper leaf, with hand-painted blue flowers and small sequins made of gilded metal. Seventeen sticks painted an ivory color with silver detail. Metal handle.

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, fans became an ideal advertising tool. The fan had two sides—one side facing the holder and the other the viewer—making it ideal for displaying two messages at once. Advertising fans were used in many capitalist cultures, often even being mass produced.

Paper hand fan
Origin: Paris, France
Material: Wood, paper, print, collage, montage
Advertising paper hand fan, printed on white paper with scenes of children playing, cat, allegorical figures and mill. Prevailing colors: black, red, yellow and brown. Nine sticks in light wood. Guards covered by the paper. Metal buttons.

Two-sided hand fan on paper
Material: Mother of pearl, paper, paint, inlay, gilding, montage, enamel
Two-sided paper hand fan with margins decorated in golden scrolls. One of the faces is painted with a countryside scene: in the center, a couple sitting down blessing a kneeling couple, other people around and in the background, castle and countryside. On the other side, another country scene: in the foreground, young girls talking, dancing and holding garlands, and young couple on the right. Hollow tree with photo and image. In the background, mountains. Fourteen mother of pearl sticks cast and painted in gold, including masters sticks, some sticks painted with colored flowers in the center. Crafted handle in metal arabesques and green button inlaid. Master sticks with medallions for photos and enamel decoration.

Sepia paper hand Fan
Origin: Paris, France
Material: Wood, paper, print, collage, montage, lacquered
Paper hand fan, printed in sepia tones. Medallion on the center with figure of woman with dress of century XVIII. On the sides, garlands of flowers and figures of birds. Twelve wooden sticks, lacquered in white. The last sticks covered by the fan blade serving as master sticks. Metal buttons.

Arsenio de Niemeyer's birthday ball dance card
Date: March 3rd, 1893
Origein: Brazil
Material: Paper, cotton,print, pritting ink
Fan-shaped card, trimmed edges, lightbackground, with two bluish gray stripes. In the front, description of the program with sixteen dances, being: 5 gangs, 5 polkas, 5 waltzes and the inscription: "Ordre de Danse" in gold. In the center, the date. It has female names written by pencil: E. Bello, Elizena B. Franco and Chiquita Saldanha. On the verse, handwritten: "Arsenio de Niemeyer' Birthday". Metal hook fastens the white pencil with inscription "Carvalhaes & CO" and the cream cord to the carnet.

Nowadays, most fans are made in China, which is where the folding fan was invented

Hand-painted red paper hand fan
Origin: China
Material: Paper, bone, paint, notch, montage, collage
Red paper hand fan, with two faces and hand-painted. In the foreground, children playing with toy horses. Chinese ideograms on black. On the other, pink flowers with foliage and dragonflies. Thirty sticks, including masts, in dark wood. Master sticks with mother of pearl and bone applications: on one side a flower, and on the other a butterfly. Twisted metal handle.