The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-31

long unknown in China, is said to'have
been imported thither from Japan in the
tenth century, whenit began to replace
screen-fans
III was IN China, however, that the first
autograph fans were seen, and they be-
came very fashionable there long years
ago. Some carefully preserved specimens
nave belonged to the emperors and their
wives. while others have been given as
diplomatic presents; a fan of this descrip-
tlon, for instance, was presented by the
chinese ambassador to Nine de Clauzel
at the coronation of Napoleau l. OF
course, fashions in fans are very changea-
pie, as well as in other things. and
instead OF. autograph fans, the Chinese
nave recently been most anxious to Dos
sess fans bearing the psalm of Life" in
their own language. In India the very
nrSt fans were supplied by nature, in the
spreading leaves of the lotos and palm.
out screen fans soon became emblems of
power there also, for they are not only
mentioned in the great Hindu poems,
'Mahabharata' and "Ramaydna, =" but
Brahnla and India are represented in the
ancient sculptures at Elephanta followed
oy slaves bearing the tlyfan and parasol.
winch latter was also considered as an
emblem of supreme power.
The punkah, or large stationary fan,
used by native and English residents to
ments, was first introduced in India un-
der Lord CORVALLIS, in 1891, and in that
country the sails or groom always carries
1y-tan to drive away the troublesome
Insects from his masters steed. One of
these ty-fans, belonging to the Maharad-
Jan OF Jund, was so beautiful that it was
sent to the London exhibition in 1851.
where it excited much admiration.
Recent excavations at Nineveh, Per
Sepohs. and elsewhere have brought to
light many representations of Assyriau
1anS, belonging to the time of Sennach-
crib, when long handled screen fans were
an emblem Of royalty. while small, square
fans were used by slaves to cool the Ii
guilds contained in huge, earthenware
jars. The punkah was used in Assyria
more than 5000 years ago, if we are to
believe the evidence of the bas-reliefs
discovered in the ruins of Kouvunlik
In Egypt the fan was not only an en-
blem' Of royalty, but also of happiness and
heavenly rest. The oldest Egyptian fan
now extant is preserved in the Museum
of Boulak, and is said to have belonged to
the queen Aah-Hotep, and is, consequent
ly, nearly thirty-tive centuries old.
Thecrown and wooden handle of this
curiosity are all covered with thin plates
of gold, and all around the former. at
equal intervals, are small holes, in which
the nodding ostrich plumes were once in
serted
A long-handled screen-fan is repre-
Sented in the triumph OF King Horus
(l40O B. c.. and the wall-paintings at
Medidah Habon show that RaIneses was
attended by twenty-three princes, each
bearing an elegant screen-fan. and re-
joicing in,the sounding title of fan bearer
on the left hand of the king" Fans were
also used-ip Egypt for religious. ceremo-
monies, for Isis priests held long-haudled
fans made of the wings of bird and
somewhat. resembling the Greek cadu-
ceus From Egypt and the far east fans
soon found their way into Greece, where
the tirst specimens assumed the shape of
acacia, plantain, or lotus leaves, but in
later Tears the ladies showed a marked
preference for gorgeous peacock feather
fans
The Romans. ever ready to adopt the
fashions of the nations they conquered
were not slow in learning to handle the
fan, which they called fla bellum. From
the bath and public places the fan soon
found its way into private houses. aud be
fore long came into general use. Proper
titus, Martial, Ovid. and Lucian all make
mention Of fans, giving the preference,
like tine Greeks, to those formed eXclu-
sively of peacock feathers. Little by
little, as the Romans grew more luXuri-
Gus and e1eminate, they became too in
dOlenJ to fan themselves, and secured
slaves to perform this Office, a Gus
tom which gave birth to Lucian's witty
epigram on the awkward slave, who, in
tanning his tiny mistress, fairly blew her
out OF the apartment. The Romans also
made use of tOlding-fans called tabellR
which they soon employed to kiudle the
fires on the affairs Of their gods. The
early Christians, initiating the example
of the heathens, also used fans even in
their simple services, statiOning a deacon
on either side of the altar to prevent the
approach of flies, which might have
alighted upon the bread or fallen into the
wine The fans used for this purpose
were made by holy hermits and
it is probable that St. jerome,
during his four years so ourn in
the desert of Chalcis, in the fourth
century, employed his leisure hours in
manufacturing fans, which he declared
were emblems of confluence. In the
Greek church the priests also used fans
to keep away flies and insects from the
altar, and their favorite design was
screen-fan representing a siX-winged
cherub, such as is still used in this as
we'll as in the Minorite and Armenian
churches, The use of fans in Christian
churches was abolish ed in the west in the
fourteenth century, and now they are
only used. on state occasions, when they
are OOIuS DcIOEt Gu6 pOpG DIS SyluDOlS u
great holiness and power
In Mexico fans were used long before
the conquest, and when Montezuma heard
that the Spanlards had landed and were
about to visit him, he sent for the gold
smiths and lapidaries, and ordered,
among other gifts which were to be
offered to Cortez. two feather fans, orna-
mented with a sun and moon of highly
polished gold. Like the Japanese, and
most other ancient nations, the Affects
evidently considered the fan an emblem
of authority, for they generally placed it
in the hands of Ometeuctli, God OF Para
dis, and or Iotec, the military disciple of
Duet alcoDuatl.
In France where the art of fan manu-
facture and decoration has long rea ched
a state of great perfection none but re-
h9ious fans were used until returning
liicrims and crusaders brought home
cas- ,ern fashions and luxuries. The old
est french fan now in existence, dating
from the ninth century, ard brought TO
the abbey of Tournus by the monks of ST.
Philibert, is daintily fashioned of vellum
and sCulpturPd ivory, ana richly adorned
with painted saints, monsters and quaint
traceries of Byzantine foliage.
Thirteenth century miniatures of
knights and ladies represent the latter
towing with fans. some of which are ban
ner shaped and in the inventory of the
property of Charles Y. of France, spe-
cial mention is made Of lOng-handled fans
strewn with pearl embroidered heur-