There are many legends about the origin of folding fan, someone says it originated from the Northern and Southern Dynasties of China, some historical data demonstrate it had appeared at the Eastern Han Dynasty of China, while there was another saying that the folding fan had showed up at Song Dynasty of China, etc. In any case, there is over one thousand year since the folding fan has appeared in China. The elegant, iconic folding fan is now a universal symbol of China’s refinement and grace. It has been recorded, as early as Song Dynasty, that ministers of the Imperial Court carried the folding fans not only as a means to cool off during the hot summer months, but also as personal adornment and a mode of cultural exchange. The innovative folding fan quickly became a favorite accessory to the court nobility, including the Emperor himself.
Initially constructed of readily available and simple materials, such as bamboo and paper, the popular folding fan took on an additional virtue. Besides cooling one during a sultry summer day, it became an important fashion embellishment. Concubines and the Chinese nobility commissioned precious folding fans to be created by master craftsmen. Artistic images and sublime landscapes were painted by renowned artists. Poetry applied in graceful calligraphy was inscribed by the leading scholars of the day. Folding fans so increased in importance that a regulation was created dictating that folding fans crafted for the Emperor were required to be produced with gold and decorated with distinguished poems and paintings by the finest artists.
Folding fans have henceforth evolved into an important cultural symbol, notable within Chinese literature and the arts; an expressive and graceful gift to exchange with friends and relatives. Our Exquisite Fan Collection of handbags artistically reinterprets the rich cultural heritage of the propitious Chinese folding fan and highlights outstanding Chinese art and cultivated refinement. The silhouette of the folding fan is skillfully recreated into the body of the bag. With hand-carved and intricately painted peacock feathers, the leather handbag transforms into a functional piece of art. Expertly worked with incisions and twists to the leather, a three dimensional masterpiece is fabricated into a glorious fashion accessory.