SOLFJÄDER med ETUI, akvarell och lack. Qingdynastin, 1800-tal,

The earliest known example dates back to the second century BC from the Mawangdui tomb sites in Changsha, Hunan. Though the fan started off as a neccessary daily implement for catching the breeze or to kindle fire sparks to create flames for cooking, it was not long before the Chinese genius for decoration and design transformed the simple fan from a mere domestic appliance to the status of an art object, coveted by courtiers and scholars alike.