Fan

Author: Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-02-01
Features: The fan, since ancient times, has been used to bring in wind and coolness. Over the long and storied years, apart from daily use, the small fan has nurtured the wisdom of Chinese cultural arts, condensed the essence of ancient and modern handicrafts, and formed a unique spectacle of Chinese fan styles, becoming an artistic treasure in the nation's traditional cultural heritage. Paintings and calligraphy have become treasures, and exquisite carvings have turned into elegant ornaments. Storytellers hold the fan, a tool of their craft, changing instantly—opening, closing, standing vertically, lying horizontally, advancing, or retreating—with lifelike and vivid expressions. Even more remarkably, the unique artistic form of the "fan shape" has been absorbed by the latticed windows of private gardens in Suzhou, creating a changing landscape as one moves. The charm of fan culture is truly pervasive, expressed so vividly and thought-provokingly. The fan is an ordinary object, known and seen by people throughout history, yet it is nothing extraordinary. However, the fan in our country has a rich and colorful history.