The earliest fans in Japan were made by tying thin stripes of hinoki (or Japanese cypress) together with thread. The number of strips of wood differed according to the person's rank. Later in the 16th century, Portuguese traders introduced it to the west and soon both men and women throughout the continent adopted it. [17] They are used today by Shinto priests in formal costume and in the formal costume of the Japanese court (they can be seen used by the Emperor and Empress during enthronement and marriage) and are brightly painted with long tassels. Simple Japanese paper fans are sometimes known as harisen. Vannotti, Franco. Peinture Chinoise de la Dynastie Ts'ing (1644–1912). Collections Baur, Geneve (1974) A Filipina in traditional attire with an abaniko folding fan ( c. 1875) which played a large part in courtship etiquette in the colonial Philippines [32] Roberts, Jane. Unfolding Pictures: Fans in the Royal Collection. Publisher - Royal Collection (January 30, 2006. ISBN 1-902163-16-8 There were many kinds of fans in ancient China. [3] The Chinese character for "fan" ( 扇) is etymologically composed of the characters for "door" ( 戶) and "feather" ( 羽). Historically, fans have played an important aspect in the life of the Chinese people. [4] The Chinese have used hand-held fans as a way to relieve themselves during hot days since the ancient times; the fans are also an embodiment of the wisdom of Chinese culture and art. [5] They were also used for ceremonial and ritual purposes [6] and as a sartorial accessory when wearing hanfu. [4] They were also carriers of Chinese traditional arts and literature and were representative of its user's personal aesthetic sense and their social status. [6] Specific concepts of status and gender were associated with types of fans in Chinese history, but generally folding fans were reserved for males while rigid fans were for females.

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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. 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 ] 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.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 Popular drag comedy webshow UNHhhh has used folding fans as a point of humour, with the sound made by a folding fan unfolding coined onomatopoeically as a "thworp" by the editors. In the 15th and early 16th century, Chinese folding fans were introduced in Europe and later played an important role in the social circles of Europe in the 18th century. [4] [29] :82 The Portuguese traders first opened up the sea route to China in the 15th century and reached Japan in the mid-16th century, [30] :26 and appear to be the first people who introduced Oriental (Chinese and Japanese) fans in Europe which lead to their popularity, as well as the increased oriental fan imports in Europe. [4] [31] :251 Behnke, Alison (2003). Japan in pictures. Minneapolis, MN.: Lerner Publications Co. ISBN 0-8225-1956-9. OCLC 46991889.

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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. 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." The most ancient ritual Chinese fan is the wumingshan, also known as zhangshan, which is believed to have been invented by Emperor Shun. [6] It is characterized with a long handle and the fan looks like a door in shape. [6] This type of fan was used for ceremonial purposes. [6] While its shape evolved throughout the millennia, it remained used as a symbol of imperial power and authority; it continued to be used until the fall of the Qing dynasty. [6] Tuanshan [ edit ] Gitter, Kurt A. Japanese fan paintings from western collections. Publisher - New Orleans Museum of Art (1985). ISBN 0-89494-021-XIf 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.