A companion of mine recently gave me a scented Chinese fan made of wood, crafted with intricate drawings of bamboo plants. I was so amused with the delicate fan that on my next journey to China, I decided to do a little research about the origins of one of China's early accessories.
Perhaps one of the most modern accessory a Chinese woman could have in early times was the lovingly crafted Chinese Fan. There is no definite record stating as to how the Chinese Fan was invented or discovered, but according to early ideas, fans were brought to China from Korea and Japan about a thousand years ago. Because the early fan was made of paper, artists and scholars both found the Chinese fan a perfect avenue for their calligraphic strokes and visionary portraits. Due to agricultural evolution during the Han and Tang Dynasties, fabrics used in making fans included smooth silk and satin. Soon enough, having a silk fan with intricate drawings became a fashionable mode among the well-read and Chinese elite. The fan was not just a tool to cool oneself, but has evolved into the paramount status symbol, customarily worn with the traditional summer costume. Expensive materials such as gold, jade, ivory, sandalwood, and silver have also been used to create these wonderful Chinese Fans.
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