Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-07-31
Its History and Antiquity = Where
and How Ii Came-Fans Artistic
and Otherwise.
what the Great Masters Had 10 Do
with Fans, and How They Did
It-Fans for the million, and
Fans for $500 Apiece.

THE ANTIQUITY OF THE INSTITUTION.
Unlike many of the auxiliaries of
fashion the fan is by no manner of
means modern institution. In vary
ing forms and different materials, it has
been in use from the earliest times; it
may be traced in the monumental and
other records of the Chinese, Japanese,
Indians, Persians, Greeks and Romans,
as we'll as in the poetical illusions of
Homer and other classical writers. 1t
has always been employed in religious
rites and services, and as the decorative
emblem of sovereignty; and in all hot
summed climates it is naturally fashiona-
BILE with men as well as women, for its
use as shade to the face to cool the
heated features, or as a chassemouehe.
During the earlier middle ages we find
no trace of the fan in Europe, although
it is most probable it was still an article
in use. The first mention of it appears
in the first part of the thirteenth centu-
ry in the cathedral and abbey records,
which refer to it as ian appendage for
decorating the ceremonies ofthe church. "
Later in this century fans made of feath-
ers fixed in richly carved and deco
rated handle, were worn by tie Italian
ladies, suspended from their girdles.
THE FOLDING FAN.
The Japanese invented at an early
day the folding fan, and they always
have been famed in its manufacture.
The Chinese adopted it, and from China
it was brought into Portugal during the
fifteenth century, and in the next cen
tury appears to have been in quite gen
eral use in Portugal, Spain and Italy.
From Spain in the sixteenth century 1T
found its way to France, with the ltal-
ian perfumers of Catherine de Medicis,
soon became fashionable at court, and
was in great favor with the mignonnes
of Henry III" In England fans were
used as female ornaments in the reign
of Henry VIII, and are said to have
been introduced during the preceding
reign. Queen Elizabeth always wore a
fan as part of her sumptuous apparel,
and it was a safe and acceptable present
for a courtier to make.
From this time the fan appears TO have
been throughout Europe an essential
part Of lady's dress. Its principal site
of manufacture was in France, where
the Chinese method was followed. Gold
and precious stones, painting and minia-
ture in the finest papers from China,
taffetas from Florence united to embel-
lish it. The trade grew in Importance,
and the manufacturers were enabled to
make laws for its regulation, and to en-
Joy divers other privileges. This was in
the reign of Louis XIV, and in the sue
ceeding reign the fancy manufacture
may be said to have reached its height.
FAN MAKING IN ENGLAND.
During about the same period the fan
came into general use in England, the
feather fan being the earliest known.
That there was quite a considerable
trade established in Great Britain dur
ing the last half of the eighteenth cen
tury--at a time, by the way, when there
were FIVE hundred manufacturers in
France alone-is evident from petit
ton to the House of Commons, entitled
The lawmakers grievance by the i'm
portation of fans from the East Indies,
and reciting that manufacturers of
fans and fan sticks, though it may seem
slight to some, is certainly at this time
-, 80, oonsonroroa 70 yerv
ol very SIeS' oonsSqu1e".G " . ,'y q
Gohsiue5aSle ola.on VI .no SI.;.rd Siato VI
nsianu, ios sna. :. eR,y ~ -,
VI ~ men' "onen a"I I.h ou ~ nJan; s
the silk (which paper, leather and silk
is manufactured in this nation); like
wise great numbers employed in paint
ing, vanishing and japanning; and
~ .II'nei, a.;c 'ne. u 49,; pns oTt
sne iln Pc e . .L;"L :. ona ho anS noraJ ~n 10,
stienS, slo 40 u VIZ. ~ lou ~ u pL, PHI onnn
ooo,vVO ho.. nase .a. of noor oee" aoUi1 oort;nn &
SIN. nuin r.. Ie0Pu ot ;nar;t
any emPlIynSu Al '"' WI n Niu'' '"''''
AMY perish
THE ARTISTIC PHASE OF THE BUSINESS.
Following this it appears that in the
18th wear of Charles the /, a protecting
duty of forty shillings per dozen was i'm
posed upon fans, and if painted their i'm
portation was strictly prohibited. In the
reign of Queen Anne, the London manu-.
facturers obtained q charter of incorpo-
ration. and thenceforth the trade of fans
within the city was limited to the mem
6ers OF the corporation, ana continued 70
flourish: heIerring 70 the reign oil
George l, Noilekehs' the eln'nent soup,
tor, tells tnat wnen nus wlIe was a glrl
her iather S intlmate irlenG, uoupy va
weii-known wa'er-eoior ural'snan' VINO
died IN London IN iIe5l, was CONSIDERED
the most eminent Oh the ian-paihters'
and that ian-painting was then SO iash-
lonable that the iamiiy oil hntnenlan
Stuar. placed MN as a pGpl 70 uoIpy;