The fan has already appeared in the Yin Dynasty. It is called "磣" (sha four sounds) and is made of colorful pheasant feathers.
It is easy to see from the glyphs that "yu" refers to feathers, and "concubine" refers to concubines, which means to stand beside or accompany the master, so there is also "standing on both sides of the master like concubines." Feather fan", this is the original fan. Such a fan is not used to cool off, but is a ceremonial ornament that shields the emperor from the sun.
After the Western Han Dynasty, fans were used to cool people down. In the Northern Song Dynasty, portable folding fans appeared. The folding fan was not invented in my country, but originated in Japan, so it is also called "Japanese fan". By the Southern Song Dynasty, domestic craftsmen were familiar with the manufacturing technology of this kind of folding fans, and shops for making and selling them began to appear. However, the craftsmanship was relatively crude, and they were only utensils in the hands of ordinary people. In the Ming Dynasty, folding fans really became popular.
In the Ming Dynasty, folding fans were one of the bulk goods imported from Japan. It is said that one fan can be exchanged for an entire "Han Mo Complete Book", which shows that people at that time loved folding fans.
During the Qing Dynasty, folding fans became more popular, especially after the Qian and Jiaqing periods. In addition to the pursuit of refining the fan ribs, they also paid more attention to the fan surface, "begging for calligraphy and painting by famous hands to show off." Under the promotion of the court, the folding fan has gradually become a carrier of expression for calligraphy and painting, thus doubling its value. The related fan pendants, fan boxes, fan bags, etc. have also become important artifacts.