Bismarck weekly tribune., 1888-11-30
THE FAN IN JAPAN.
DETAILS OF THE PROCESS OF DE-
SIGNING AND MANUFACTURING.
A Great variety Of Colors Applied By
Means Of Blocks Of Cherry wood-Fans
for Gentlemen of Taste-The Fans Many
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Uses-Etiquette.
Among the scenes Of unique interest which
arrest the eye Of the traveller in Japan one
finds ones self well repaid for visit to the
fan makers. Few Of those who visit the
curios shops to purchase these gaudy trifles
have any idea of the meaning Of their pict-
uresque designs or the method by which they
are made. Yet this handicrast does really
more to advertise Japan than any other
manufacture. Fans are made by thousands
of independent laborers, centralized capital
and labor for the manufacture of works of
art and handicraft being as yet little known
in Japan. The principal workers in this
trade are found in Toxic, Koto, Nagoya and
Fukui.
We have have watched the operation from
beginning to end-the splitting Of bamboo,
the cutting and pasting Of delicate rice paper
by the girls, the artistic, dainty picturing,
the finishing and packing. They are some
times inscribed with classic quotations,
poetry, statistical tables. almanac lore, maps,
pictures of noted places and congratulations
Often these are made to depict life, customs,
architecture in Europe, or even Yokohama,
that city being the immediate link between
the Japanese and foreigners. Thus are the
fans in the household, Of which there are
many, made to educate the family.
The design for the pictures on an ordinary
fat fan is first drawn on thin paper, then
pasted on a block of cherry wood and en-
graved; afterward printed from this by lay
ing the fan paper on the block and pressing
smoothly. japanese books have been printed
in this way for centuries prior to the late
changes in the empire. The variety of colors
are put on with not infrequently as many as
twenty blocks. Often the picture papers
have the choicest Of perfumes laid between
them before being pasted on the frame, then
finished with ivory handles, inlaid and gold
lacquered
FOR GENTLEMEN OF TASTE.
Gentlemen of luxurious tastes have large
collections of these refreshing trifes, with
autograph inscriptions and pictures from
celebrated artists. A very dainty custom in
vogue is to exchange fans as we do photo
graphs.
We, as foreigners, are supposed to do
things upside down. In this country the
large, fiat fans are for the use of gentlemen,
but in Japan it would be dire breach Of
etiquette, as these are used exclusively by
women. The gentleman always carries q
folding fan in his girdle or bosom, usually
elegantly decorated. If he is scholar or
author, when he.invites his literary friends
to his house they must go prepared to in
scribe this dainty bit of refreshment offered
them on arrival. A rack Of silver hooks, or
a tubular fan holder is found in every house
of the least pretention
Japan uses the fan for great variety Of
purposes; made of stout paper to winnow
grain, for dust pans and charcoal fire blow
ers; Of waterproof paper for dipping in
water end as vaporizer, for producing ex-
ira GOODNESS to the face. There are double
winged fans for the juggler, who makes q
butterfly of paper futter up the edge of q
sword, for the judges at wrestling matches
and for the dancing girl, who makes her fan
apart of her own graceful motion and classic
pose. In charming grace of manner the
Japanese are unequaled, and secret though
decorous love is often expressed in artistic
use Of the fan till consummated by openly
avowed attachment.
AS tokens of good feeling and polite atten-
tion Americans are not infrequently the re-
cipients Of costly fans from their japanese
friends. On certain special occasion, ac-
companying an invitation to dinner, tied
with daintiest silk corn on perfhmed paper.
was tray of confections and sponge cake in
q lacquered box of exquisite make and a case
of three rare, painted fans, each tied in silk
napkins
on.leaving the empire, a family with
whom delightful relations had been estab-
lished, sent as a parting gift beautiful gold
lacquered cabinet, in one Of the drawers Of
which was found number Of perfu1ned
fans Of elegant manufacture, which will be
lifelong keepsakes in memory of the aesthetic
Japanese.-Helen q. 8. Thompson in Good
Housekeeping.
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