Folding fan

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A handheld fan , or simply hand fan , is any broad, flat surface that is waved back-and-forth to create an airflow. Generally, purpose-made handheld fans are folding fans, which are shaped like a sector of a circle and made of a thin material such as paper or feathers mounted on slats which revolve around a pivot so that it can be closed when not in use. Hand fans were used before mechanical fans were invented. On human skin, the airflow from handfans increases evaporation which has a cooling effect due to the latent heat of evaporation of water. Fans are convenient to carry around, especially folding fans. Next to the folding fan, the rigid hand screen fan was also a highly decorative and desired object among the higher social classes. Its purpose is different since they are more cumbersome to carry around.

Folding fan

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Wikimedia Commons. In 18th and 19th century paintings of interiors one sometimes sees one laying on a chimney mantle.

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Do you know that hand fans date back to the times of ancient Greece? Skip forward to the 17th century, and the folding fan was introduced to the Western world from Japan. They aren't just a practical accessory though, over the centuries, this simple cooling device has been used as a status symbol, a flirtation aide, and to deliver coded communications. Nowadays, the folding fan has a place in our homes, not just to circulate air, but as an attractive option for home decor. Folding fans look amazing as wall art, adding a touch of far Eastern chic to any setting. If you're a fan, here's our pick of the best folding options available now. They have delicate floral and butterfly-themed designs that are charmingly vintage in muted colors. These fans are made from silk and bamboo. They feature a lovely decorative tassel pendant hanging from the base.

Folding fan

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Brooklyn Museum. Cornell University. The way the sticks sit close to each other, often with little or no space between them is one of the distinguishing characteristics of fans of this era. An hexagonal rigid fan with a Chinese painting of a cat and a calligraphy, late Qing dynasty. Korean hand fans. The screen could be made out of silk stretched on a frame or thin wood, leather or papier mache. In Japan, fans were variously used by warriors as a form of weapon, by actors and dancers for performances, and by children as a toy. Ssireum Danwon pungsokdo cheop. Japanese kamon. The sticks are often plain ivory or tortoiseshell, sometimes inlaid with gold or silver pique work. Christian Europe's earliest known fan was the flabellum ceremonial fan , which dates from the 6th century. Folding fans have "montures" which are the sticks and guards, and the leaves were usually painted by craftsmen.

A handheld fan , or simply hand fan , is any broad, flat surface that is waved back-and-forth to create an airflow.

In Japan, fans were variously used by warriors as a form of weapon, by actors and dancers for performances, and by children as a toy. Stemming from ideas of imitating and appropriating cultural ideas of excess, wealth, status and elegance, large folding hand fans, sometimes 12 inches 30 cm or more in radius, are used to punctuate speech, as part of performances, or as accessories to an outfit. The screen could be made out of silk stretched on a frame or thin wood, leather or papier mache. Machine-made paper fans, introduced in the 19th century, are smoother, with an even texture. Media related to Hand fans at Wikimedia Commons. The most ancient ritual Chinese fan is the wumingshan , also known as zhangshan , which is believed to have been invented by Emperor Shun. One of the characteristics of these fans is the rather crude bone or ivory sticks and the way the leather leaves are often slotted onto the sticks rather than glued as with later folding fans. OCLC Retrieved 17 July In the 19th century in the West , European fashion caused fan decoration and size to vary.