Fans

This is a look at fans through the ages, illustrated with some examples from the V&A Museum's collections.

Fans have been created throughout history for many different purposes to commemorate national events, to celebrate marriage, as souvenirs of foreign travel and as symbols of bereavement.

Many are exquisite works of art, painted by accomplished artists, and finely decorated.

Fans were also used as a vehicle for social satire, as shown in fans depicting a decidely cynical view of marriage.

The book traces the evolution of the art of fan making and the social uses of fans, from the 17th century, represented by a rare Italian brise fan, to their demise early this century, one of the latest examples being a fan painted by Duncan grant for the Omega workshops.

Illustrations are drawn from contemporary paintings, from documentary sources, such as magazines and journals, from original designs, as well as photographs of fans from the V&A's famous dress collection.