The Savannah morning news., 1902-03-23
THE FILTRATION FAN.
Title Given by Frivolous Debutau-
ties to the Tiny Du Barry Fan.

Title Given by Frivolous Debutau-
ties to the Tiny Du Barry Fan.
New York, March 21.-All the big
fans of painted gauze, ostrich plumes
and spangled muslin can now go away
back and lie down, in some obscure
corner of the shops, for a new, exceed
ingly tiny fan, made of feathers, has
come into all their glory and popu-
larity. This gay usurper is called in
Paris, whence it very naturally ema-
mates, the du Barry; by the frivolous
debutantes it is considered cunning"
and is privately known as the "flirta-
ton fam"
1t is a matter ancient history that
the great Madame du Barry collected
fans and esteemed those made of
feathers above all others. A really
smart and correct du Barry is really
no bigger than the hand of a woman
of average size when her fingers are
stretched apart to their fullest extent.
The sticks are of tortoise SHE'LL gilded
and carved ebony, and also of horn,
so finely polished and oiled that it is
as transparent as amber. Ten sticks
and two guards is the limit of these
tive-inch long fans, and the mounting
is done in small, exquisitely colored
feathers.
Some of the favorites are jungle-cock
white hackle. brown argus, blue jay
merle, golden pheasant, sea gull and
impeyan. The most expensive and
brilliant of these feather mounts are
done in Brazilian humming bird
plumage, and in that of the American
cardinal, grosbeak. There are but few
work nnnnlG in P11-ic txrh0 a. HI
of making these fans, for every tiny
feather is plucked from the dried skin
Of the bird and applied to the founda-
ton in a design that creates SNOWY
patterns. Another reason for their ex-
pense is that many of the birds, whose
feathers are used for this purpose, are
rare and many are protected by the
laws that forbid the killing of song
sters. On some of these fans the feath
ers from the breasts of different birds
are combined in wonderful designs. and
on one of the guard sticks the owners
initials are usually inlaid in gold. and
the signature of the maker of the fan
is scratched on the shell or horn.
How to Wear "A Du Barry Fan.
With evening dress a du Barry fan
is always worn suspended from the
right wrist by very long black velvet
bow at the base of the hand. and
streamers, long enough to let the fan
fall when not in use almost to the dress
hem, depend from this. In this fash
ion, with all the elbow sleeved after
noon muslinS, the du Barry fans will
be worn throughout the summer, and
wonderful examples of feather work in
black have been imported for use with
just such gowns. For these the sticks
are thin, black horn, having their sur
faces traced in lines of gilt or pow
dered with inset golden spangles. Black
cock, crow, or raven breast plumage
is used, affording a brilliancy of black
ness that is seen on no other surface.
OF course, such artistic treasures are
meant for the use to which a fan is
usually put, but they are also en-
ployed in graceful posings, and it is
the fashion. when using a du Barry, to
raise the right elbow on level with
the head and fan oneself with a little,
short, fiuttering motion, that is inf
nitely coquettish and that contrives to