The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-08-13
How Japanese Fans are Made.
* Japanese fans, one cent each!"

JdIdHCSc ldllS, OIlt C6Ilb EACH
How in the world can they be sold sc
cheap" asked the writer of the venerable
and jovial Mr.. a. A. Vantine, who has JUS
returned from his fifth visit to the people
of dusky complexion, pig-tails, and al
mOnd-shaped eyes, with whom for some
years past he has earnestly labored to ex
tend American enterprise, socially ant
commercially.
1.-The japanese fans sold for that price
are sold at sacrifice replied Mr.. Vas
tine, ''for | know that they cannot be
manufactured and shipped at less than five
cents; in fact, that is the cost of them in
gold"
Can you inform me in regard to the
manufacture of the fans, some of which are
really works of art, and must call fol
skilled labOr?" NEARLY all the japanese
fans are made in the interior, where labor
is very cheap, and the equivalent of two
or three cents of our money is considered
good wages, and really it goes a good deal
further. The bamboo sticks are cut by
men in the .jungles, and two joints are re-
quired for each fan. One end is split in q
deXterOus manner by women, and if you
will take the trouble to count the little
arms or ribs, you will find from fifty to
seventy in each. The other end forms the
handle. Boys and girls then take the
sticks and spread out the ribs, securing
them a little above the joint by a fine
thread woven between the ribs. Then
they are ready to be covered, and this
work is also done by women aud chill
dren."
"HOw is the paper made with which
they are cOvered?' "Ah that's very GU
riOus and interesting. The mulberry tree.
on the leaves of which the silk-wOrm feeds,
furnishes the material. 1t is made from
the bark of the root, and, singular as ii
may seem, contains a strong silky fiber.
The bark, which is carefully peeled and
scraped from the roots, is manipulated for
hours by old men and women and chill
dren, as the gentle handling it receives
from these weak hands does not destroy
the fibre. As soon as the rough outer sur
face is worked off, the fibers are soaked in
vat for some days, and then the pulpy
mass is rolled and dried on wires pretty
much the same way that our paper is
made"
Then presume it is pasted on the fan
frame and painted "Oh, no indeed !
The figures that you see on all the COM
mon fiat fans are all printed, and every col
or is printed on separate stone. 1t is
done by some photographic process, and is
one of the japanese secrets. They some
times use as many as sixty stones, one
each for every distinctive shade or celOr.
This done, the paper is pasted on the
frames by women and children, men box
ing the goods for shipment. The folding
fans, varying in length from eight to four
teen inches, the longest of which are so
fashionable at present, are also made in the
interior, but by different class of work
ing people. The sticks are made with
greater care. and though the paper is about
the same the painting is all done by hand.
Some of this work is finely done, and gives
to many excellent artists, for
it is only the best who can draw and paint
fans. There is something beautiful in
their blending of colOrs, but all their
drawings lack perspective. The amount
of work bestowed on every fan is accord
ing to the price. With ordinary wear and
tear, the paper used on Japanese fans will
last ten years."
"Have you any idea of the number of
persons engaged in the business of fan
in Japan?'' 90 1t would be impOssi-
BILE to obtain data on that point The work
for the most part is done in the interior,
where intercourse with foreigners is inter-
dicted, and the entire population of villa
ges, men women and children, are en-
ployed at fan-making. Some cOmmuni-
ties far away from free ports make one par
ticular kind of fan, and some another, and
they never interfere with each other.
The varieties of painting and subjects
are endless. The artists who work
on high-priced fans are distinct class.
No foreigner is permitted to hold any
at present, yet step by step advances are
made, and new places opened TO all. The
importer desiring TO purchase fans seeks a
merchant, and presenting his
pattern. bargains with him then and there
His negotiation ended, the commission
merchant starts for the interior and con-
tracts with the head man of some village
Or community. and in due time the order
is completed. the work being done even to
The slightest lead pencil mark according to
the pattern. Ii has occurred several times
that marks or memorandum inadvertent-
" left on the pattern have been copied
With wonderful fidelity, the Japanese
worker no doubt regarding it as of the
greatest importance"
How many fans do we get from the
Japs annually" "FOr several years pre-
ri0us to the last, have heard it said that
between SOC. 900 and 100000 of the COM
non flat fans were imported to the United
States, principally to New York. Last
year more of these fans were imported, as
;ome one started a novelty that pleased
he fashionables. The spreading or fold
NO fans. which are fourteen inches long, |
md which the ladies now wear hanging
ly their sides, as our grandmothers did !
7ears ago, are all the rage, and have quite !
superseded the others. Between two and
hree millions of the folding fan have been !
this year, but next year it is just !
IS like to be some other style, and the long
olding or shut-up fan will be thrown |
side. The work of fan-making gives en- |
)loyment TO many hundred thousand jap !
nese, as have remarked, whole villages
,eing sometimes employed. If no definite
rawlings are given with the order, the I
Japanese exercise their imagination to the /
Utmost, and present us with the thousand |
nd one queer subjects found on the COM
non fans. "-Ne1o York Paper. !