A large group that continues to use folding hand fans for cultural and fashion use are drag queens. Stemming from ideas of imitating and appropriating cultural ideas of excess, wealth, status and elegance, large folding hand fans, sometimes 12 inches (30cm) or more in radius, are used to punctuate speech, as part of performances, or as accessories to an outfit. Fans may have phrases taken from the lexicon of drag and LGBTQ+ culture written on them, and may be decorated in other ways, such as the addition of sequins or tassels. The Snowpea fan has a powerful battery that will last up to 15 hours, if you’re using the fan on its lowest setting. Despite reducing to four hours on its fastest setting, if you’re on a full day out with no access to charging facilities, then you can at least choose to use it on the slower setting to see you through the day. Folding fans are often used to emphasize a point in a person's speech, rather than for express use of fanning oneself. A person might harshly snap open the fan when engaging in "throwing shade" on (comically insulting) another person, creating a loud snapping noise that punctuates the insult. Drag dance numbers also utilise larger hand fans as a way to add flair and as a prop, used to emphasise movements in the dance. Another popular type of Chinese fan was the palm leaf fan pukuishan ( Chinese: 蒲葵扇), also known as pushan ( Chinese: 蒲扇), which was made of the leaves and stalks of pukui ( Livistona chinensis). [10] Zheshan [ edit ] Noise – Often, handheld fans won’t be the quietest, with some models noisier than others. If this is a concern, then look for “silent” models – but be aware these aren’t always 100% silent.

In the 17th century the folding fan, and its attendant semiotic culture, were introduced from China and Japan. By the end of the 17th century, there were enormous imports of China folding in Europe due to its popularity and to a lesser extent, Japanese folding fans were also reaching Europe by that period. [4] Fans were also used in the military as a way of sending signals on the field of battle. However, fans were mainly used for social and court activities. In Japan, fans were variously used by warriors as a form of weapon, by actors and dancers for performances, and by children as a toy. Printed fan leaves and painted fans are done on a paper ground. The paper was originally handmade and displayed the characteristic watermarks. Machine-made paper fans, introduced in the 19th century, are smoother, with an even texture. Even today, geisha and maiko use folding fans in their fan dances as well. Like the majority of fans on this list, the Snowpea isn’t the quietest model on the market, and at 13.6cm, it’s considerably bigger than some options. In its favour, though, it comes with soft silicone rubber padding around the base so that you can use it as a freestanding fan, plus it’s lightweight enough to carry around without any issues.Tsang, Ka Bo (2002). More than keeping cool: Chinese fans and fan painting. Royal Ontario Museum. p.10. ISBN 0-88854-439-1. Guo Ruoxu, for example, has included a short note about the folding fan in his Tuhua Jian Wen Zhi ( Records of Paintings Seen and Heard About, 1074) It states that Korean envoys often brought along Korean folding fans as gifts. They were, Guo also pointed out, of Japanese origin. a b Qian, Gonglin (2000). Chinese fans: artistry and aesthetics. Long River Press. p.12. ISBN 1-59265-020-1. The first folding fan arrived as a tribute that was brought to China by a Japanese monk in 988. Writings of both Japanese and Chinese scholars concerning the folding fan, which was believed to have been first invented in Japan, apparently suggest that it received its shape from the design of a bat's wing. On human skin, the airflow from handfans increases evaporation which has a cooling effect due to the latent heat of evaporation of water. It also increases heat convection by displacing the warmer air produced by body heat that surrounds the skin, which has an additional cooling effect, provided that the ambient air temperature is lower than the skin temperature – which is typically about 33°C (91°F). Fans are convenient to carry around, especially folding fans. See also, the gunbai, a military leader's fan (in old Japan); used in the modern day as an umpire's fan in sumo wrestling, it is a type of Japanese war fan, like the tessen.

Modern powered mechanical hand fans: hand fans which appear as mini mechanical rotating fans with blades. These are usually axial fans, and often use blades made from a soft material for safety. These are usually battery operated, but can be hand cranked as well. Qian, Gonglin. Chinese Fans: Artistry and Aesthetics (Arts of China, #2). Long River Press (August 31, 2004) ISBN 1-59265-020-1 Key details – Height: 10cm; Colours: Blue, clear, green, purple; Speed settings: 1; Features: Foam blades; Power: 2 x AA batteries The folding fan ( Chinese: 折扇), invented by Japan, was later introduced to the Chinese in the 10th century. [11] [5] :12 In 988 AD, folding fans were first introduced in China by a Japanese monk from Japan as a tribute during the Northern Song dynasty; these folding fans became very fashionable in China by the Southern Song dynasty. [8] :8,12–16 The folding fans were referred to as "Japanese fans" by the Chinese. [5] :15 While the folding fans gained popularity, the traditional silk round fans continued to remain mainstream in the Song dynasty. [5] :16 The folding fan later became very fashionable in the Ming dynasty; [4] however, folding fans were met with resistance because they were believed to be intended for the lower-class people and servants. [5] :17

If a regular fan is too slow to fade the flush, then a cooling mist working alongside a jet of air will see you return to normal temperatures in a flash. This model from HandFan features a 55ml water tank, spritzing while it blows out air, to keep you cool. Behnke, Alison (2003). Japan in pictures. Minneapolis, MN.: Lerner Publications Co. ISBN 0-8225-1956-9. OCLC 46991889. Vannotti, Franco. Peinture Chinoise de la Dynastie Ts'ing (1644–1912). Collections Baur, Geneve (1974) a b Verschuer, Charlotte von (2006). Across the perilous sea: Japanese trade with China and Korea from the seventh to the sixteenth centuries. Cornell University. p.72. ISBN 1-933947-03-9. Another Japanese creation enjoyed great success among foreigners: the folding fans. It was invented in Japan in the eighth or ninth century, when only round and fixed (uchiwa) fans made of palm leaves were known. -- their usage had spread throughout China in antiquity. Two types of folding fans developed: one was made of cypress-wood blades bound by a thread (hiogi); the other had a frame with fewer blades which was covered in Japanese paper and folded in a zigzag patterns (kawahori-ogi). "The paper fan was described by a thirteenth-century Chinese author, but well before that date Chōnen had offered twenty wooden-bladed fans and two paper fans to the emperor of China." Christian Europe's earliest known fan was the flabellum (ceremonial fan), which dates from the 6th century. It was used during services to drive insects away from the consecrated bread and wine. Its use died out in western Europe, but continues in the Eastern Orthodox and Ethiopian Churches.

Letourmy-Bordier, Georgina & Le Guen, Sylvain, L'éventail, matières d'excellence: La nature sublimée par les mains de l'artisan, Musée de la Nacre et de la Tabletterie (September 2015) ISBN 978-2953110692

Bennett, Anna G. & Berson, Ruth Fans in fashion. Publisher Charles E. Tuttle Co. Inc & The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (1981) ISBN 0-88401-037-6 Archaeological ruins and ancient texts show that the hand fan was used in ancient Greece at least from the 4th century BC and was known as a rhipis ( Ancient Greek: ῥιπίς). [2] This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Hand fan"– news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( April 2017) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)