The earliest plumed fans probably consisted of a pair of complete wings set shoulder to shoulder, resembling the caduceus of Mercury, which was regarded as a symbol of happiness, peace, and concord, the wings expressing diligence.
Feather-fans assume all manner of shapes, as the large round banner-fans already referred to; the familiar crescent-like form with a short handle set horizontally at its base; and the various hand-screens, these either composed entirely of peacocks’ feathers, the breast and neck feathers forming a pattern in the centre, with a border of tail feathers; or, the centre formed of plaited pith and cane of various colours, beetles’ wings, etc., with the border again of feathers; the handles being of cane or wood, or of wood covered with cane strippings or other material.
(From a MS. copy of the Akbar-Namah. Sixteenth century.)]
In Persia and Arabia, from the first centuries of our era, fans were made of ostrich feathers, many being ornamented with that form of inscription which is such a leading feature of the decorative art of these countries.
[Illustration: Large Hand Fan of Sandal Wood, Indian. 18th Cent. pierced & carved.
The crescent-shaped hand-fan also dates from a very early period. In its primitive form, it is seen in the painted decoration of the Buddhist cave-temples of Ajanta (first century B.C. to eighth century A.D.), the example given being probably ornamented with strips or panels of mica, the constructional portion of cane or pith.
A variant of this form, still more simple in its construction, is seen in one of the sculptured roundels of the Buddhist tope at Amaravati, Southern India, _circa_ second century A.D.; an attendant upon a great personage waves a circular fan, having the handle stretched across the face, with a circular opening near the lower edge to enable the handle to be gripped. All the foregoing types obtain at the present day, and are as modern as they are ancient.
The flag form of fan is, if possible, a still more remarkable instance of the persistence of certain decorative _motifs_ throughout long periods of the world’s history. This type, again, is in use at the present day—the page of examples illustrated are of the mid-nineteenth century—this identical form appears in the wall-paintings at Ajanta;[33] it is also seen in Egyptian and Assyrian sculptured reliefs; it was employed by the Copts from the third to the sixth century, and earlier in Arabia; it was in general use in Italy during the period of the Renaissance. There can be no possibility of doubt that this form of fan was common to the whole of the East and to a greater portion of the West, and has endured throughout the centuries.