The Fan – A History of Grace and Power Unfolded. Story by Guillaumette Duplaix, Executive Editor of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: Archives INPI, GettyImages, Runway Magazine Archives.
A handheld fan, or simply a “hand fan,” is a broad, flat surface waved back and forth to create a breeze. Traditionally, hand fans are collapsible, semi-circular in shape, and made from light materials like paper or feathers. Mounted on pivoting ribs, they can be closed when not in use. These were the precursors to modern electric fans.
Hand fans fall into two general categories:
- Fixed (or rigid) fans: circular fans, palm-leaf fans, straw fans, feather fans.
- Folding fans: silk folding fans, paper folding fans, sandalwood fans.
Types of Fans in 18th Century Europe
- Rigid Fan: As the name suggests, this fan is stiff and retains its shape. It may be leaf-shaped, rectangular, or oval, often mounted on a stand.
- Folding Fan: The most popular style in 18th-century Europe, known as the golden age of folding fans. Main types include pleated, brisé (broken), and cockade fans.
- Pleated Fan: Made with a frame and a series of ribs, the outer guards are wider and more decorative. A pivot at the base allows the fan to open and close.
- Brisé Fan: Constructed solely of sticks bound at the top with a ribbon or cord. The design omits a pleated leaf but allows for elegant openwork.
- Cockade Fan: Opens into a full circle around the pivot. Though extravagant in appearance, they were considered impractical and saw limited popularity.
Materials
In the 18th century, fans were crafted from a wide variety of materials based on style and fashion. As fashion accessories, they followed material trends of the time.
- Sticks and Handles: Made of gold, tortoiseshell, ivory, mother-of-pearl, horn, or wood—often richly decorated or inlaid with contrasting materials.
- Mounts: Before 1780, mounts were typically vellum or paper. Luxury versions included mother-of-pearl and other decorative elements like feathers, butterfly wings, silk, gold, and sequins. Lace fans also made occasional appearances.
Origins and Early Use
From Egypt and China to Greece and India, early fans were rigid screens. In ancient Greece (4th century BCE), the fan was known as rhipis, rhipister, or rhipidion.
In Egypt, fans date back 4,000 years and were seen as sacred objects. Tutankhamun’s tomb contained two ornate examples.
In Christian Europe, the earliest known fan was the ceremonial flabellum, used from the 6th century to keep insects away during Mass. It remains in use in Orthodox liturgies.
The Middle Ages saw the rise of the “esmouchoir”—a handle with long horsehair strands.
During the Crusades (12th century), fans were introduced more widely into Europe. Initially rigid and feathered, they became popular with nobility like Elizabeth I, who owned dozens. In the 16th century, folding fans arrived from Japan.
In the Far East, China produced the earliest known example of a screen fan in the 7th century BCE. Later came the brisé fan—slats joined by a ribbon.
Japan invented the folding fan (sensu) in the 7th century CE, inspired by the folding wings of a bat.
From 1540 onward, Portuguese traders brought fans from Japan to Europe, especially via Lisbon. Italy adopted the trend swiftly. Catherine de Medici made Italian fans fashionable at the French court. By 1600, Marie de Medici’s marriage to Henri IV firmly established fan fashion in France.
The term “eventail” is attributed to Brantôme in La Vie des Dames Galantes.
Royal Patronage and Industry
Under Louis XIV, Minister Colbert established the fan-makers’ guild on February 15, 1678. “Eventaillistes” folded and assembled the fan leaves, while “tabletiers” made the frames.
The 1685 revocation of the Edict of Nantes forced Protestant artisans to flee, taking their skills to London and Spain.
The Golden Age: 18th Century
The 18th century marked the artistic peak of fan production in Europe. Fans were made of silk or parchment, often painted by artists. East India Companies imported Chinese fans. By mid-century, mechanical fans appeared, including wind-up models.
Early 1700s: Small brisé fans with Chinese influence were in vogue. Later, folding fans gained court favor.
1760: Martin Petit invented a pleating mold, enabling mass production. Late-century fans were stencil-printed and hand-colored.
The French Revolution ended the golden era, devastating the fan industry.
19th Century Resurgence and Globalization
The shift to neoclassical fashion brought smaller tulle fans. Gothic revival under the Restoration renewed interest in older brisé fans. Chromolithography (1839) enabled large-scale image replication, reviving antique fan designs.
Spain became a leading producer from 1830, centered in Valencia. While fan painting was once deemed a minor art, renowned artists like Manet, Renoir, Pissarro (72 designs), Gauguin (26), and Maurice Denis elevated it.
In Western fashion, fans fluctuated in style and size. A rumored fan language emerged—used in English and Spanish courts to convey secret messages. Modern research shows this was largely a 19th-century marketing invention but still captivates.
In 1954, Cussons & Sons & Co promoted “The Language of the Fan” using Duvelleroy fans in advertisements.
The Screen Fan
Also popular in the 18th–19th centuries was the screen fan, used indoors to shield the face from firelight. This helped preserve wax-based makeup and avoid flushed cheeks. Social gatherings often took place by the hearth in drafty homes.
The screen fan had a fixed handle, often ornately turned wood, with a silk, leather, or papier-mâché surface, painted with florals, religious scenes, or exotic birds. Their use faded by the late 19th century.
France remained the only major Western producer in the 19th century, tailoring fan designs by destination. Renowned makers included Alexandre, Duvelleroy, and Kees.
By the century’s end, fans became widespread in advertising and party decor.
20th Century to Present
In the early 20th century, feather fans and Art Nouveau or Art Deco painted silk designs took center stage. Yet the World Wars and changing fashions brought decline.
Today, mass-produced fans mainly come from Spain and Asia, often sold at low cost.
1980s Revival and Modern Iconography
In the 1980s, fans reemerged as dancefloor accessories. Karl Lagerfeld made them iconic again—almost a personal trademark.
In 2016, Rihanna featured a fan as the centerpiece of her Fenty x Puma runway.
Beyoncé brandished fans during her Renaissance tour. International actresses and performers continue to embrace the fan as a theatrical, stylish prop.
Conclusion
The fan has transcended centuries, cultures, and classes—its elegance and symbolism reinvented time and again. A timeless object of beauty, grace, and subtle power.
