HAND FAN

A hand fan is a folding or solid accessory for fanning, used to cool oneself in the heat by creating a flow of air. Historically the fan was not only a practical object but a refined accessory and even an instrument of non-verbal communication: in the 19th century fan makers popularised the legend of a 'language of the fan', supposedly a secret code of ladies at balls — modern research regards it as a marketing invention. Folding fans have leaves of fabric, paper, lace or silk mounted on carved sticks of wood, bone or mother-of-pearl, often with painted decoration. Today the fan is an elegant evening, wedding and ethnic accessory (especially in the Spanish flamenco style). A hand fan is a fanning accessory, in which the practical function of cooling oneself in the heat combines with a rich history as a refined object and even a 'language of the fan', making it an elegant accent of evening, wedding and ethnic style.