Object of the Day: Antique Painted Hand Fan

While Central Air is much more effective, the hand fan is decidedly more attractive. The first European hand fans date to the Sixth Century. Over time, fans developed from simple pieces of thin wood or feathers on a long stick to more complicated and artistic designs. The artistry of the hand fan reached its pinnacle in the Eighteenth Century.


The “sticks” of the fan (the attached supports which hold the fan’s material) were made of wood, bone and sometimes metal—often inlaid with precious materials such as Mother of Pearl or decorated with crystals or gemstones. By the Nineteenth Century, sticks were often made of celluloid. During this time period, fans were often hand-painted with pastoral scenes, landscapes and scenes of court life. Painted on silk, canvas, cotton, or even on feathers, these scenes were often highly detailed and masterfully executed.

I’ve collected nine fans over the years. I display all of them in special cases. This particular fan—signed by the artist Velan—dates to France in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Expertly painted by Velan with a landscape on the reverse and a courting scene on the front, this fan is in perfect condition. Its black celluloid sticks are delicately engraved with a typical pattern of the period which has been filled-in with gold. Displayed in a two-sided glass case built by my father and ebonized by my mother, this fan is one of the central artifacts on display in my living room.

I enjoy the look of these painted fans, but especially, appreciate the intimacy of them. Again, these are objects that were carried by individual people throughout the course of their daily lives. The fans served to bring comfort to them, but also had another purpose. During a time period with strict social codes, many women used the fans as a subtle way of communicating with their friends and potential suitors. A fan raised a certain way; tilted to one side, or fluttered in a particular manner each communicated a different sentiment or desire.

Fans such as these are very collectible and can be found—often already in display cases—in antique malls. Occasionally, a fan can be found in its original box. Though not particularly useful to us today, these fans are a peek into the lifestyle of a beautiful era long past.