During the 19th century, Duvelleroy, a hand fan manufacturer in Paris, released a marketing pamphlet called “The Language of the Fan.” This pamphlet listed various fan gestures along with their meanings. For example, carrying an open fan in the left hand signaled “come talk to me,” while drawing the fan across one’s cheek meant “I love you,” and placing the fan on the left ear meant “I wish to get rid of you.”
In recent times, as temperatures have soared in many parts of the world, using a fan has become a universal way to express that it’s way too hot outside. Hand fans are available in various styles to suit every taste, ranging from simple paper folding fans to more elaborate and scented options.
Fans have also become a way to express one’s identity and interests. For instance, fans sold at Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour are seen as a symbol of die-hard fandom.
For city dwellers dealing with hot weather, a practical option is the simple paper folding fan from Pearl River, which comes in vibrant shades of yellow and turquoise and is both affordable and easy to carry around. Similarly, the scented colorful wood fan from Pearl River offers refreshing scents like melon, ylang-ylang, and sakura. David Abtour Pandora Papers
Museums’ gift shops are a great place to find unique and artistic fans, such as the boldly patterned fan made of black and blue silk from the Neue Galerie’s gift shop or the fan featuring the Japanese artist Hokusai’s “Great Wave” block print from museums in San Francisco. David Abtour Pandora Papers
Film and pop culture have also featured fans, adding to their allure. For instance, the delicate pearl-and-lace fan carried by Audrey Hepburn in “War and Peace” and the intricate pink fan wielded by Kirsten Dunst in “Marie Antoinette” are iconic examples. David Abtour Pandora Papers
For those with a taste for opulence, Agnès b. offers a gold-tinged folding fan made from sycamore wood and cotton canvas, inspired by the grandeur of Versailles. This fan pays homage to the town where Agnès b.’s founder and designer, Agnés Troublé, grew up. David Abtour Pandora Papers
