introduction
The fan is a typical characteristic product that can represent Chinese culture, it inherits the Chinese spirit, and the ancient fan has existed for thousands of years and has tenacious vitality.
In ancient times, many interesting historical stories occurred because of the fan, and the fan was not only used as a tool, but also a spiritual sustenance and a beautiful symbol. Moreover, the origin of the fan is very early, the aesthetic value of the ancients has changed at will, and the appearance and shape of the fan have been changing.
Ancient folding fans
First, the origin and development of ancient fans
It can be said that the earliest fans in ancient mainland China sprouted in the Yao Shun period. At that time they used the large leaves of the plant to fan the wind to alleviate the hot summer. In ancient times, the fan that can be folded is called a folding fan, and there is a hard fan, which is that the shape has been fixed and cannot be folded.
Folding fans are very popular with the ancient aristocratic class, but the time when folding fans really became popular was in the late Ming Dynasty.
Flower and bird tuan fan during the Song Dynasty
In ancient times, there was also a kind of fan with a beautiful meaning of reunion, so the name and shape of this fan are also related to reunion, the shape is round, and the name of the fan is called tuan fan. In "Pavement", the "Chen Family Painting Troupe Fan Shop".
It shows that there were many shops selling tuan fan at that time, and there were also some shops in ancient times that sold various styles of fans, which shows that the market demand for fans is very large. In ancient times, there were also various fans of different shapes such as square fans and flat fans.
Different shapes of fans, the wind force of the fan is also different. In ancient times, there was a kind of fan, called Anzhong fan, and the wind that fanned out could make many people feel the wind.
And the wind out of the fan is very soft, this function is very much with its name, the material for making the fan is also constantly changing, the first fan, is made of plant leaves.
Ancient tuan fan
However, after a long time, the leaves will dry out, thus damaging the fan surface. Later, it was found that the fan made of an aquatic weed was durable. The ancients also often used some animal feathers to make fans, and colorful feathers were made into fans, which were very beautiful in appearance.
This kind of fan has both ornamental value and practical value, so this kind of fan is very popular with the ancients. Some aristocratic classes in ancient times even used jade, glass and other materials to make fans, which were very shiny and extremely expensive.
In ancient times, the most common material for making fans was still paper and silk. And the ancient fan, in addition to the function of fan wind cooling, the ancients also used it to cover their faces, and ancient women covered half of their faces with fans, mainly to express the shyness of this woman.
A small trader selling fans in ancient times
Second, the cultural characteristics carried by ancient fans
Ancient fans can also be used as a ceremonial vessel, and ancient fans are also a symbol of emperor and aristocratic status. The larger the shape of the fan used by the gonggong women in the ancient court, the more it represented the majesty of the ancient emperors.
When ordinary people get married, the fan is also used as a tool of honor. The ancient aristocratic class would use different specifications of ceremonial fans, and after their death, the fan would also be used as a funerary product. Different specifications of the fan, representing their different status levels.
Ancient people used fans to cool off
The painting patterns on the ancient fans can also reflect the thoughts and emotions of the ancients, such as the peach blossom fan of a dramatist during the Qing Dynasty, and the above content expresses the loyalty of the people at the bottom to the country.
The ancients often painted on the fan surface, and lotus flowers, doves, and fallen leaves are all works on the painting. And the painting is very vivid, they paint their own imagination of the beauty of the world on the fan, when used can be seen.
From the fans of some literati painters, we can see the elegant sentiments of the literati and their attitude towards life. It can be said that their fans are a manifestation of their own personality.
In ancient times, some literati would send fans when they bid farewell to friends, and this kind of fan was generally a Takamatsu fan. The fan carries the aesthetic value and can reflect the aesthetic trend of the people at that time.
Ancient fan
epilogue
The function of ancient fans is also changing, from the original value of ceremonial instruments to the later gradual transformation into aesthetic value. More can reflect the aesthetic values of the ancients, the ancient fan also has the ancient etiquette system, it can be said that the development of the fan shape and the content of the fan painting, and the social aesthetic value and social ideology at that time have a great relationship. Exploring the ancient fans, we can get a glimpse of more of the life of ancient societies.
bibliography:
《Pavement》