Dressing 18th Century: The Fan and Its Language

 

An inexpensive but welcomed addition (expecially in the hot summer South) to your 18th century costume is the simple folding fan. It originated in Japan at the end of the 12th century. Later the Chinese started to produce folding fans of sandalwood or ivory with gold and silver decorations. Oriental fans were imported to Europe in the 15^th and 16^th centuries. It was 1549 when the folding fan first appeared on the French court fashion scene.

In the 17^th century, fan production started in France, mainly in Paris and the popularity of French fans reached its peak in the mid-eighteenth century. Representing the highest level of craftsmanship in the 18^th century, elegant French fans were made of various materials such as tortoiseshell, ivory, and mother-of-pearl, with applied lacquer painting and engraving.

In the British colonies, the 18^th century witnessed a considerable development in trade between China and the West. Apart from such commodities as tea, silk and porcelain, an increasingly large proportion of Chinese exports includes fancy goods such as fans and fan sticks.

Many milliners and merchants in colonial Virginia imported Chinese and European fans. They were advertised repeatedly in the local newspaper: ”white Fans, coloured Fans,” “black Paper Fans,” “fans in cases, common fans, all sorts of wedding, mourning, second mourning, and other genteel fans.”

Fan mounts were often made of paper and usually decorated on both sides. One scene generally covered the entire leaf. Perhaps the most common subjects for the painted decoration of Chinese paper fans were flowers, fruit, birds and insects.

Bamboo was a popular material for fan sticks because of its strength and durability. The bamboo sticks were sometimes washed over with a reddish, semi-transparent lacquer.

Women in 18^th century England, the English colonies, France and Europe carrying a fan was both fashionable and functional. In fashionable circles, it was said that a woman’s mood was reflected in her use of her fan. To satirize this practice, Joseph Addison wrote the following article for an English daily periodical, The Spectator, No. 102, on June 27, 1711.

"Women are armed with Fans as Men with Swords, and sometimes do more Execution with them; to the End therefore that Ladies may be entire Mistresses of the Weapon which they bear, I have erected an Academy for the training up of your Women in the Exercise of the Fan, according to the most fashionable Airs and Motions that are now practiced at Court. The Ladies who carry Fans under me are drawn up twice a Day in my great Hall, where they are instructed in the Use of their Arms, and exercised by the following Words of Command,

Handle your Fans,

Unfurl your Fans,

Discharge your Fans,

Ground your Fans,

Recover your Fans,

Flutter your Fans.

By the right of observation of these few plain Words of Command, a Woman of a tolerable Genius who will apply her self diligently to her Exercise for the Space of but one half Year, shall be able to give her Fan all the Graces that can possibly enter into that little modish Machine. . . .

The Fluttering of the Fans is the last, and indeed the Master-piece of the whole Exercise; but if a Lady does no misspend her Time, she may make herself Mistress of it in three Months. I generally lay aside the Dog-days and the hot Time of the Summer for the teaching this Part of Exercise for as soon as ever I pronounce Flutter your Fans, the Place is filled with so many Zephirs and gentle Breezes as are very refreshing in that Season the Year, though they might be dangerous to Ladies of a tender Constitution in any other.

There is an infinite Variety of Motions to be made use of in the Flutter of a Fan: There is the angry Flutter, the modest Flutter, the timorous Flutter, the confused Flutter, the merry Flutter, and the amorous Flutter, Not to be tedious, there is scarce any Emotion in the Mind which does not produce a suitable Agitation in the Fan: insomuch, that if I only see the Fan of a disciplin’d Lady, I know well whether she laugh, frown, or blushes. I have seen a Fan so very angry, that it would have been dangerous for the absent Lover who provoked it to have come within the Wind of it; and at Times so very languishing, that I have been glad for the Lady’s Sake the Lover was at a sufficient Distance from it."

In “Fanology or The Ladies Conversation Fan”  by Charles Francis Badini, printed in 1797, described how women could be communicated with their fans and without uttering a single word. The letters of the alphabet were divided into five hand positions (the letter J being excluded).

Position 1: Hold fan in left hand and touch the right arm = letters A -E 

Position 2: Hold fan in right hand and touch the left arm = letters F -K 

Position 3: Place the fan against the heart = letters L - P 

Position 4: Raise the fan to mouth = letters Q - U

Position 5: Raise the fan to forehead = letters V - Z

You would then use the same motions to indicate which number of the letter in each combination. So for example, if you wanted to spell S.O.S, for the letter S you would place your fan in position 4 and then place it in position 3, for the letter O, position 3 then position 4 and for S again, position 4 then position 3. (Fanology)

A simpler communication form was to flap the fan for the letter’s position in the alphabet. For example: one flap for “a,” two flaps for “b” and so on. There was a 27^th flap to signify a full stop. This technique was called the Ladies Telegraph.

In the 19th century fan maker Jean-Pierre Duvelleroy printed a pamphlet that detailed further meanings to hand fan positions. They included:

Whether used for communication or not, the 18^th century fan was an important accessory. My favorite is the sandalwood fan for it’s delicate and intricate designs, as well as the wonderful aroma. A few drops of perfume can also be added for a stronger fragrance.

Fans are not just an item of the past. They are often present day favors for celebrations such as weddings and family picnics. I sometimes tuck one in my purse in case I need it for this Southern heat and humidity.  The only drawback is that people nowadays haven’t a clue what I’m saying to them if I use the language of the fan. . .or maybe. . .that’s a good thing. . .(grin).