The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-12

- fan has been one of the most
delightful accessories of the
feminine toilet. And this
summer the new wind waters are ex-
quisitely beautiful. especially those de- |
signed to be used with period costumes, |
which are a fad of the season. Many |
lovely but inexpensive fans are to be
found at a Broadway shop that deals
in wares from the land of the mikado. |
In this display is a dainty little speci- |
men of carved sandalwood with a
painted or stamped design in soft old
rose and dull green tones all over its
surface. The fan is moderately priced
at $1.50. and it would be reasonable
at twice the amount, as a sandalwood
fan is not only artistic to the eye and
pleasant to the olfactory organ, but has
the added advantage of combining well
with most costumes. A fan of black
liberty silk, spangled with steel whose
sticks are inlaid with the same metal
is in the same collection and is GER
tainly alluring enough to appeal to a
Spanish donna, for who can WELD the
fan so successfully as the Spanish girl?
And in the land of Spain the fan
speaks a particular language. and gal
Iantry requires no other mode to ex-
press its most subtle conceits than
through this delicate machine.
In the hands of the powdered Ouch
esses and marquiseS of Louis XIV.'s
reign the fan was a weapon and
symbol It had, like diplomats, a lam
guage of its own, which was learned
by every woman before she entered
society. With it could be expressed a
wish, a promise, a refusal or a pardon.
In Persia, Egypt, Greece and Rome
fans were in early use The Egyptians
carried a peculiar arrangement made
of a birds wing extended, while in
Greece the round peacock feather fan
was the favorite. Roman ladies ap-
peared in public waiting thin tablets
of sandalwood, and lurid light is cast
on the customs of the middle ages in
Italy by the fact that several dainty
fans are preserved with a concealed
dagger in the handle of each. The
fans first appearance in England was
made in the reign of Richard II. The
virgin queen, the fair Elizabeth, is said
TO have owned no less than twenty
seven fans, one handsome specimen
costing 5000, large sum in those days.
Elizabeth originated the custom that
the only gift a queen could receive was
fan, and truly worthy of royalty's
acceptance were these offerings, whose
sticks were made Of mother-of- pearl
rubies and other precious gems. And
in our own day a number of society
women not only collect costly fans,
many Of which have historical value
but they are seen using them at smart
functions.
The Japanese, I believe, have the
honor of inventing the first collapsible
or folding fans. about $50 A. D. They
have kept right on adding to their
clever inventions in this direction
Their latest idea of the collapsible
type is a charming affair that looks
when closed like a bunch of pink
roses. but when a little silk string hid
den among the posies is pulled a good
sized fan of white silk appears with a
border of pink roses. These fans have
been favorite graduating presents this
year. Another lovely little fan of
oriental origin is a round affair of
white silk covered with cherry bios
SONS in natural coloring, done in a
silky fabric. On the reverse side is
this verse in Japanese characters:
Shikijimano Yamabo
Gokorowa
Hito toWaba
Asthtne niwow
Yama Sakura kama
Translated into English it would read
something like this: If you should ask
the Japanese where is the japanese
heart he would point to the cherry
blossoms waving in the morning sun.
There is the Japanese heart
The decoration of fans has ALWAYS
proved fascinating to French artists
and such masters as Fragonard, Bou-
cher. Vatican and Lancret did not
consider the painting of lovely figures
on the dainty fans as beneath their
dignity. In the Louis XIV. period thew
were beautifully finished by the four
Martin brothers with a bright varnish
that gave the painting an appearance
of enamel which is known even to this
day as ''Vernis Martin" A number ot
the handsomest fans of the sunroer
are copies of the work of these old
French masters, and when hung from
chains of gold or semiprecious stones
the effect is quaint and lovely There
is, too, a fancy for suSpendins these
tiny fans of the season from black
grosgrain ribbon and carrying them
over the wrist
One could write indefinitely ahout
fans of the past and present but there
is pretty NEUROLOGICAL origin that Ii
pleasant to remember in connection
with them which runs as follows: A:
Psyche was sleeping one day on 3
bank of flowers Zephyr's wings ken
lowering over her. After a time zeal.
Gus Cupid plucl1ed off one of Zephyr,
wings and gave it to Psyche that sh,
might ever have cooling breezes.
CATHERINE TALBOT.
New York.