For centuries, large, long-handled fans were ceremonial symbols of power, the privilege of pharaohs, priests and kings. Even today, fans of this type are carried in formal papal processions. The earliest fans were probably used to quicken the burning of a fire or to keep bothersome insects at bay, but they eventually took on a prestigious role. Fan making was an art in China and Japan, by the time the first European ships reached the Orient in the early 1500s.
Portuguese sailors brought back fans to the markets of Europe. It is most likely that fans reached Portuguese-Goa during this period. By the 1700s, the art of the European fashioned fan had reached its peak. Gold, silver, ivory, silk and precious gems were used in making fans, as were simpler materials such as wood and leather.
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Many 18th Century pleated and brise fans were painted with reproductions of masterpieces. Wealthy brides and widows were equipped with delicate marriage and dour mourning fans. Advances in printing technology brought the fan within reach of the masses. A novel type of printed fan known as an aide-memoire (a French phrase meaning ‘prompt the memory’) was popular between 1780 and 1820. These instructional fans carried printed details on everything from how to flirt to the biological parts of a flower.
Fans have historically been a significant element of the attire worn by aristocratic landladies in Goa. These women would often carry a fan to church during services, particularly during extended ceremonies such as Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, New Year, and Christmas, as well as during wedding celebrations.
Antoneta Maria Luiza Váz from Margão shares, “I still bring my old hand fan, which I inherited from my mother-in-law, to church for services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The fan is over 95 years old and still remains in excellent condition”.
Additionally, the hand fan became an essential accessory for women participating in the Mando, the last aristocratic Goan social dance known as ‘ballo nobile,’ which originated in the 19th century. Even today, the Mando is considered incomplete without the hand fan, although it is now performed by individuals in competitions, a departure from its traditional setting in the home. Old fans have become a rare sight in Goan households today. Nevertheless, certain families in the state have diligently maintained their treasured heirlooms especially sliced ivory/ bone fans, imported from Macau. Fans retained their favored position until well into the 1930s.
Fans were so popular that they were carried by men and women. Fans for men replaced the dress sword as accessory. A luxurious design was a must for fans: The sticks and guards were made of precious material. As fashion catapulted into the modern age, unfortunately, the fan suddenly seemed out of place.
Types of fans
Pleated fans:
They have a leaf (or mount) of pleated fabric, paper or leather. The leaf is supported on a
series of sticks that are joined at one end by a rivet. Guards, which are the two end
sticks, protect the fan
when it is closed.
Brise fans:
They are folding fans that have no leaf. The sticks themselves widen toward their outer ends and overlap to form the body of a fan. To hold the fan together, the sticks are artfully strung with ribbon or string. Cockade fans are folding fans of either the pleated or brise type that open to a full circle.
