Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-27
FANs-THEIR HIsToaY AND LITERATURE.
"Cape hoe FLABELLUN.
Et veLtulum huic tactic.
{"Take thou this ian
And oiva har a Httla air iil

And give her little air.'D
-[Terence, B. c. $50.
In the voluminous "Chronicles of Fashion, "
the fan, has in all ages, held high position. In
India, in Southern Europe, and in portions of
our own Continent, 1t Is almost indispensable
whilst in many countries it may be considered as
part of the national costume. OF its history
and its connection with literature and art il Is
our present purpose to speak.
More than three thousand years have elapsed
since the artist of ancient Egypt sculptured fans
on the walls of Theban tomb, where Pharoah
is represented surrounded by his fan-bearers,
each in his due rank. There Is also seen an in
vestiture of Que of his attendants, realizing the
description in the book of "Genesis" of the HON
ors paid by Pharoah to Joseph. This precious
toy is mentioned by Euripides, five hundred
years later, when its Grecian form was far more
beautlfu than the Egyptian; the wings of a bird
attached TO a slender handle, being the simple
yet graceful fan OF the Priest Of Isis.
Among the Romans it was sacred to BacChus.
being carried in pr csssion at his festival Ter
ence, ovid Propertius, and Martial, allude to its
use and designs upon ancient vases also ildi.
cate the vice pre- eValence of he fashion. Ro
man ladies enjoyed its luxury which gorgeous
with peacOcks feathers or delicate with the tinted
plumes of the ostrich, could not yet be furled
unfurled or tiuttered its size rendering the ser.
vices uf aa attendant necessary. Nor was its
told by Sempronious that the q uperor Au gustus
had slave TO fan him whilst he slept.
From the Romans and Italians, the fashion
could hardly fail to be handed down to the ladies
of Spain and of France; whence it was iml orted
in the time of Henry the Eighth, by the DANES
of England. When introduced into France by
Catherine de Med els lin the first half of the six
teenth century, the fan was no longer still and
unyielding, bat so constructed that it could be
folded in the manner of those now SO familiar.
Formed of paper or perfumed leather, 1t became
the delight of the French Court; and attracting
the attention of artists, in the luxurious reigns
of Louis XIV and XIV, fans or Pompadours
shone with gliding and gems, and glowed with
the pictures of Watteau. Une of the Court
ladies thus writes, in ecstasy. to a friend -
by furl of the fan you may distinguish the
Princess from the Countess; aud the Marchioness
from the Parvenu. Then how much grace does
it add to lady who understands its skillful use;
for il wiuds like serpent. futters ike bird,
folds and unfolds, rises and drops at pleasure
Mention is made of fan, presented to Queen
Elijah tn on New Years Day, the handle stud
ded with diam nds. Then there were waking
as we'll as dress fans; the former sufficiently
large to screen the face from the sun; indeed 1t
was custo mary for q servant to attend on and
carry the lady's fan, while promenading; it will
be recollected that the Nurse" in Romeo and
Juliet affects this dignity and shakespeare has
also given the same office to Armada" in Loves
Labor Lost
'Ohl most dainty man
To see him walk before lady, to bear her fan"
From the Merry Wives of Windsor we learn that
the fan was an object of plunder-
"And when Mistress Bridget lost the handle
of her fan, took It upon mine honor, thou hadst
1t not"
Bridget's fan handle apparently produced
reward, for Pistol" immediately asks
"Didst thou not share hast thou not hiteen
pence 2"