A visitor is viewing a Tuan fan at an exhibition in Suzhou on May 19, 2019.
Suzhou fans are a special traditional handcraft of Suzhou City, east China’s Zhejiang Province, having a history of several hundred years. Suzhou fans can be categorized into three main types: folding fans, sandalwood fans, and Tuan (round-shaped) fans. Fans were widely used in Suzhou during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Later in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), numerous fan-making workshops appeared in the city, then during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Suzhou fans became royal tributes. Many fans found today in the collection of the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City were made in Suzhou. In 2006, the techniques of making Suzhou fans were included in the national intangible cultural heritage list.
The function of fans in the past went beyond keeping their users cool. As an integration of traditional poetry, calligraphy, and exquisite crafts, this handcraft has evolved into an elegant art form of high cultural and aesthetic value.
The folding fan, consists of two parts: a leaf and sticks. Sticks, which make up the skeleton of a fan, are usually made of bamboo or wood cut according to fixed dimensions of width and curvature. Through procedures such as polishing and drilling, the sticks become quite durable. Fan leaves, normally decorated with poems and paintings, are generally made from selected rice paper. The production of a fan leaf involves over 10 procedures to ensure it is lightweight, durable and can be easily folded and stored away. The leaf and monture are separate components, allowing the leaf to be easily removed and replaced with a new one when desired.
The second type of fans is the sandalwood fan, a special type of folding fan made from sandalwood using techniques such as inlaying, pyrography, carving, and painting. Suzhou is the birthplace of the sandalwood fan. The rarity and distinctive fragrance of sandalwood itself and the superb craftsmanship involved in making such fans make sandalwood fans highly collectable.
The third type of Suzhou fans is the Tuan fan, a fan that does not fold. The fan leaf is made with silk or types of other cloth and embellished with inlays, carvings, and paintings. The famous Southern Song Dynasty poet Lu You wrote in his poems that every household in Suzhou used Tuan fans. These fans usually come in round, hexagonal, apple, or banana-leaf shapes, and are commonly used by women.
Today, many artisans in Suzhou still maintain the handcraft of making Suzhou fans, bringing new dimensions to this household item through their exquisite skills and creativity.
