Amazing Chinese Hand Fans
A hand-held fan is an implement used to induce an airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself. Generally, purpose-made hand-held fans 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. Fans are convenient to carry around, especially folding fans.
Archaeological ruins and ancient texts show that fans were used in ancient Greece at least since the 4th century BC. Fans from the Middle East were brought back by Crusaders. In the 15th century. The fan is especially popular in Spain, where flamenco dancers used the fan and extended its use to the nobility.
The oldest existing Chinese fans are a pair of woven bamboo side-mounted fans from the 2nd century BC. In ancient China, fans came in various shapes and forms and were made in different materials such as silk, bamboo, feathers, etc.
In ancient Japan, hand fans, such as oval and silk fans was influenced by the Chinese fans.
The folding fan was invented in Japan, with date ranging from the 6th to 9th century.
The first fans used in India were made of palm leaves. They were used against flies, also a tail of the yak (Tibetan steer) was used for this purpose.
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