Antique hand fans

The summer heat has me thinking about a beautiful and utilitarian antique that has given many a lady from days gone by relief from the heat and insects. These fans can be beautiful works of art or simply bring back great memories.

Fans have been around for many centuries, and most people imagine Egyptians, Greeks or Roman slaves fanning the royals with large fans of palm leaves or feathers on long sticks. Not only did the fanning keep folks cool but it also kept insects away. Hand fans were also very popular in China and the orient and became most popular in the west beginning in the 1800s.

There are two kinds of fans, the one piece solid one like the ones that used to advertise funeral homes and or advertising of some kind and the accordion types that fold up or stack into a handle.

There are several parts to an accordion fan. The decorative visible parts are called the leaf then the stick, ribs and outside guards. The pivot or the head anchors the parts together.

During the Victorian era, many fans were made of died ostrich feathers and the sticks were often tortoise shell or ivory. Victorian ladies used these fans to convey their feelings to suitors by either fanning slowly to mean they were not interested in the young fellow or to fan quickly to show excitement or interest in the suitor. They would also often cover their face except for the eyes to show that they were demure or hard to get.

There were many communications by fan in the Orient, but that is for another article!

As fashion changed, the sticks began to be made of celluloid and then later bakelite. These fans are highly sought after by collectors. The leaf was made of many materials including painted silk, lace, wood or paper. Of course by the ’50s and ’60s plastic became the main ingredient in fan sticks.

If you would like to clean your vintage fans, be very careful. You should really just lightly brush off the dust with a soft bristled brush. There are many hand fan collector clubs and companies that restore old fans. The best way to display your vintage fans is in shadow boxes that have archival materials and protective glass.

Happy Collecting!

Jillinda Falen has been buying and selling antiques for over 31 years and is a licensed REALTOR and estate liquidation specialist. You can contact her through the Houston Home Journal or via email at jcfalen@gmail.com.

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