Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-07

and a symbol. 1t had, like diplomats d
language of it's own. which was iearneu W
every woman before she entered SocIe.s'
with 1t could be expressed wish, proinr
Use a refusal or pardon. In the Iahs u
this period historical and allegorlcai SUI.
jects are mostly depicted chaF "a,
gem represents Nine. Valerie In 1ahtasti'
earden receiving the homage OF reno"h,
yictorv and poetry. The sticks or THESE
fans are long usually of ivory or motnei
of-pearl, deliberately carved ana slius -
Tapping each other so they make slhsio
niece when opened. -
The decoration of fans has always proved
fascinating to French artists, ana sucii
masters as Fragonard, Boucher, Nast ttat-
and Iancret did not consider the palh.iis
of lovely figures on the dainty weapons as
beneath their dignity. In the Louis XIV
neriod they We're beautifully hnlsheo ny lie
four Martin brothers with bright Varhisll;
which gave the painting an appearances ot
enamel which is known even 10 'he pr
day as the "Vernis- Martin.
The Revolution.
The decadence of the fan begins with Tue
Louis XVI reign, and the golden age OIL tnis
fragile toy ends in France with the reVoiu-
tton These elegant little silk and satin
TOYS savored of aristocratic tendencies So
fans were made of coarse material and
printed with devices such as mort GU Lio-
erter, and .Vive la France!" fan of this
mere beauty is not the sole desideratum.
With the empire the fan regained some OF
its old delfcacy and refinement and once
more became fashionable, the Napoleonic
victories suggesting many subjects.
Japan. the land of the fan, affords a fas-
cinating field for the collector, and in that
country 1t is an article of daily use ana nu-
merous duties. 1t Is welded allke by man
and woman, prince and ploughpoy In me
tn 20 n
a fan, and in the street it is waved IN
salutation or greeting. The successlul
Japanese generals are today directing the
movements of their troops with long-nah-
died fans On important occasions such as
at present exist in this little island, upon
which all eyes are turned libels and po-
litical caricatures are transmitted on them,
and in the nursery the nurse watts the ran
to and fro to keep off the insects and luli
her charge to sleep. The clever little Jap
anese have the honor of inventing the first
collapsible or folding fan in about $50 AID.
The Fascinating Donna.
Who, though, can WELD the fascinating
fan so successfully as the Spanish donna? ?
Disraeh says In the land of Spain the fan
speaks n particular language and gallan-
try requires no other mode to express its
most subtle conceits than through this DEL
icate machine Still the Spanish beauty s
fan does not compare in artistic merit with
the fans of France and England. The dis
tinctively American fan is yet to pc
evolved.
German fans are brilliant in coloring.
though somewhat heavy in technique. The
genius of the art of Holland reflects itself
in fan painting. The subjects are generally
miniature sea views or quaint little bits
showing blue canals, with fishing boats and
old world vessels.
Fans are made of many kinds of ma
terials, among them satin, silk chicken
rfrnfA int
gauze and muslin. spangled and worked.
The sticks in years gone by, when artist
and artisan labored for love and not for
gain alone, were things of elegance and
beauty, but the machne-made sticks of to-
day are in most cases very good limitations.
Miniature fan painting is an art that is
being revived, and a number of women are
making a speciality of it. The fan. which
has held its sway for many centuries, is
likely to continue indefinitely in vogue
among women of fashion, both as useful
and coquettish weapon and as dainty
object for the collectors cabinet.