The Fan

Southland Times, Issue 20081, 19 January 1927, Page 11

The Fan

INFLUENCE OF COIFFURE.

London. Perhaps a fashion so picturesque and charming as the carrying of fans will never die out. Although fans of various descriptions have been in use from remotest ages, they are still popular, and the huge modern ones of exquisitely shaded feathers make an effective background for beauty’s shingled head or slim figure. It is strange to reflect that feather fans were in use thousands of years ago. A wooden fan-holder with holes for the feathers, which is preserved in a museum near Cairo, is proof of this, for it is said to be—long to the 17 th century B.C. 'Hie first folding fans were made in Japan, and were very like those of to-day. Some were decorated with curious figure designs, while verses were written on others. Fans have played their part in Court life throughout the centuries. Catherine de Medici introduced them into France; and they soon became very popular with the ladies of the Court, who put their goldmounted fans to many strange uses. They established a code of signals by which they contrived to send messages and hints to their admirers.

Paris became the chief centre for the manufacture of fans in the 17th century, although they were also made in Holland and Spain. On many of these fans sacred subjects were depicted, while some of the more elaborate ones were patterned with jewels and mounted in gold. Queen Victoria possessed an interesting Dutch fan of this period decorated with paintings. Some lavishly ornamented fans of the 18th century had carved ivory sticks, and were painted from designs by famous artists, such as Watteau and Lancret. For the mounts fine parchment, silk, and taffeta were used. Indeed, so various and dainty are the many materials used for fans and and designs in which they were made that no wonder the collection of fans has been a fascinating hobby with those who could afford it.

To-day fans are not used so much as in Victorian times, when they were symbols of coquetry and affectation. Yet a beautiful fan lends an air of enchantment to even a modern toilette.

“Fans made of ducks’ wings and ducks’ feathers have gained popularity on account of the prevalence of the shingled coiffure,” said a member of a well-known West End firm. "They have a more severe effect — which is considered in keeping with the shingle and Eton crop—than have fans of ostrich plumes.”

One beautiful example made of ducks’ wings in deep Italian blue was softened by three ostrich feather tips placed at the centre top of the fan. Another fan in jadegreen ducks’ feathers mounted on tortoiseshell sticks had each little feather tipped with gold. A third in a lighter shade of blue had the feathers arranged to give a curved effect, the plumes bending slightly inwards when the fan is open. These were flecked here and there with gold tinsel paint.

The ostrich feather fan, however, shows no sign of waning. A new and magnificent example was in shell-pink shading to pale cream, with sticks of mother-o’-pearl. When unfurled it was only a few inches short of a yard in depth. This lovely effect is carried out in a variety of colours.