Providing you with the best Chinese fans is our priority. This is why all our fans are authentic Chinese fans, created according to Chinese tradition and know-how. We are therefore committed to offering quality Chinese fans. In addition, we are committed to regularly renewing our catalog of Chinese fans, to always quench your thirst for discovery of China. Finally, we are committed to answering all your requests and questions in 48 hours maximum.
History
Chinese fans have a story over 3000 years old. They were indeed invented during the Shang dynasty (1570 - 1045 BC). The first type of Chinese fans was called Shanhan, he was then suspended above the carriages to bring a little shade and protect the passengers from the rain. The Shanhan range was therefore far from the function we know today! It was actually closer to an umbrella or a umbrella, according to the weather. Later, the Shanhan evolved and received a long handle, and was made of bird or silk feathers. He was then called Zhangshan Fan, and he was mainly used by the Emperor's Guard of Honor or as a decoration.
It was therefore not used for refreshments before the Zhou dynasty over 2,000 years ago. At that time, it was still mainly made of feathers and was used by nobility. It was popularized to all Chinese social classes during the Hans dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). At this point, it was mainly made of bamboo and reed leaves, much cheaper than feathers, and therefore accessible to all social classes. During the Song dynasty (420 - 479), the moon range, with its half -moon shape, was invented and was a dazzling success towards young women, in particular those of the imperial court. He then evolved to take different forms, notably round and oval. The rivors of the fan were then made of small bones of animals or bamboo, and the handle was decorated with strain engravings, and sometimes stones such as jade. The fans were already magnificent representations of traditional Chinese art, and the silk screen was often decorated with landscapes, flowers or even mythological scenes. The paintings on fans were so appreciated that they greatly participated in developing Chinese art itself, and became an artistic style of expression in its own right.
Today, the most common fans are no longer the round fans, but rather the foldable fans, which were introduced in China by the Japanese during the Song dynasty. Legend has it that the Japanese has created it after being inspired by the bat wings. Since the foldable range was much more practical and could easily be transported everywhere, it quickly became a real fashion element in China. They were then real craft objects, whose rivors were made of noble materials, such as turtle scales, horns of beef, ebony, marbled bamboo, ivory elephant defenses, or jade.
Nowadays, there are over 500 different types of Chinese fans, among which the most famous are those in Santalwood from Suzhou, in Jiangsu province, or those in Hangzhou, in the province of Zhjiang.
