Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-07-08
Misfellarrsuus.
Fans Tat Cost AHortune.
MANIA FOR BEAUTIFUL FLIRTING Al
TICLEs THAT Is DYING OFT.

great the pen is mightier than the sword. -
50 fan, in the hands Of coquettish wo-
man, is greater than the pen. Yet how
few, as they dart glzpces over that weapon
of love, realize that centuries ago other
women used the fan for similar purpose.
The fan is Of very great antiquity and has
been known for hundreds Of years in al
most very country. In China and Japan
1t was known and used ages ago, and has
been handed down from generation to gen.
Grafton The Fan had its origin in the
iOrient, where the extreme heat made it
more an article of necessity than acces
sory of coquetry. At first leaves of the
palm tree, the lotus and the banana tree
were used, and on many Of the old tomb
stones in India these leaves in the shape
OF fans are to be found. At later period.
as the worlds inhabitants grew more
luxurious, fans underwent a change. and
bronze, ivory, sandalwood, tortoise shell.
silver or gold. one or the other. were used
to form the body. while paper. linen. silk
or feathers formed the covering. Not only
was the material changed, but-the form
also, and from the shape Of leaf the fan
gradually changed to quadrant. In
India fans made Of peacock feathers are
as much an insignia OF dignity as is the
garter in England. Even the Buddhist
priests use it as portion of their attire at
religious ceremonies.
In China and Japan the fan is universal.
Upon its face the student takes notes it is
used in salutations between friends, and
the criminal goes to execution fan in hand
while the officer in charge gives the sig
nal for the execution with his fan and the
executioner fans himself as he performs
his duty. In Egypt the fan was an emblem
of happiness and rest and has been known
for $500 years in that country. Among
the Modes and Persians it was the symbol
of royalty. while the ancient Mexicans
used It for centuries as symbol of COM
mand The fan was known TO the
Etruscans. who handed it down to the Ro-
mans. In Rome and Greece the fan had a
long handle, so that the slaves could use
it for the comfort of their master. At first
manufactured by heather nations. the fan
soon became favorite with Christians, and
in the early days of the Church. SITS.
Fulgence and Jerome were makers of this
article.
In France the fan was gu +, common a.
early as the 10th century. while in Eng
land it was well known during the reign
of Richard III. Its use was very common
in the 14th century; and afterward. when
Queen Elizabeth came into power, she held
il in great favor. and was known as 1.-The
patron of fans" In Spain it is used with
great effect by the Spanish maidens, who
probably understand its effect on the sus-
ceptible gentlemen better than the women
of any race on earth. and who use it with
unequaled grace. In the seventh century
fans had so increased in size as to make
themselves burdens to the bearer and the
fashion suddenly changed, and the large
and unweildy articles were replaced by
"lilliputians."
Among the old fans now extant are sew
eral of great value and richness One OF
these is the fan of Mme de Pompadour.
which is covered with rare and valuable
embroidered lace, containing a row OF
miniatures which are almost invisible to
the naked eye. but which reveal wonder
full delicacy under the microscope. This
fan has fine sections, each one containing
a painted medallion. Another elegant fan
is that presented to Marie Antoinette On
the birth Of her son the Dauphin. May
1885, and which is now in the possession
of NJ Eugene de Thiac. at Paris. II is OF
llNOTNs OUtu-WOTktu anu IltUlN CdVNcu
The oldest Christian fan extant dates back
to the sixth century. and is now in the
castle of Monza, near Milan. Italy. 1t be-
longed originally to Queen Theolinda
who is said to have been in possession Of
n nail belonging to the true cross. This
fan was composed of two square leaves
which folded one over the other, the
leaves being richly gilded and ornamented
with pearls. The handle was Of gold in
laid with gems.
Baroness A. Roihschld has in her pos.
session a very ancient fan. made of woven
bulrushes. painted in various colors and
ornamented with pearls. the handle being
made of jade. In the museum of the
Louvre at Paris, there is Chinese fan
Ia centuries old. It is made of bamboo
leaf and ornamented with bulrushes. The
two principal private collections of rare
fans are those of Nine. A. Rothschild and
Nine. a. Jubinal. 1t was not until the
10th century that water-color painting
began to be popular as an ornamentation
of fans. This soon became 1.-THE fashion,
and every maiden who possessed one OF
these cooling articles straightway had
some noted artist ut work. At first
mythology was ransacked for subjects,
but this scope being somewhat limited re-
course was had to the Bible, and subjects
OF religious nature soon drove away the
heather gods. At a later period a sort of
diluted astheticsm set in among "ye
maidens fayre of ye olden time" and love
scenes, in which the cavaliers of the mid
die ages figured prominently, were de-
picted on the fans of the period. The
Execution of the work of decorating these
articles required great care, and even the
great artists did not disdain to lend their
aid in the business. Among the painters,
sculptors and carvers who have contribute
ed to this end are Vatican, Carriera, Rosa
Banheur, Boucher. Lebrun, Gerome,
Lanii and Gavarni.
Twenty years ago all the painted fans
used by the ladies Of the United States
were imported from Paris. In that CITY a
number Of competent artists were con-
stantly engaged in exercising their talents
on fans, and prices were correspondingly
high. But the knowledge that such work
was well paid for in this country induced
numbers of good artists to emigrate to
the United States and New York city soon
held number Of them. Like all classes
of business, however, fan-painting soon
became the subject of competitor, and the
prices paid to artists by dealers were quite