The Earliest Fan –The Tpyes of Chinese Fans 最早的扇子——中國扇的種類

China is regarded as the kingdom of making fans. There are four or five hundred types of fans, among them the most popular ones are feather fans, palm-leaf fans, silk fans, cattail leave fans, round fans ( used by maids in palaces ), folding fans, bamboo fans and goose-feather fans. Each type of fans has its own function. The silk fans were used by ladies of wealthy families. The round fans were used by maids of honor in palaces and had the function of blocking the sunshine and warding off the wind, and showing the dignity of emperors. The cattail leave fans were usually used by peasant women, femail servants, woman matchmakers or sedan-chair bearers. As to the scholars, they would prefer folding fans. The goose-feather fan of Zhuge Liang, the most well-known strategist in ancient China, was the symbol of calmness, quick-wittedness and wisdom. In the Chinese painting Beauties Wearing Flowers by Zhoufang of the Tang Dynasty ( 619-907 ), the silk fans with long handles the ladies were holding were a kind of blocking fans. They were made of whith sild and were painted with peonies, making fans look very expensive and elegant. In the painting Han Xizai Hosting a Dinner Party by Gu Hongzhong of the South Tang period ( 937-975 ), Han Xizai was holding a square silk and bamboo fan with round corners, and his maids were holding round painted silk fans woth long handles. It shows that both silk and bamboo fans were favored by powerful families and nobles in ancient China.

中國被譽為制扇王國,扇子品種繁多,大約有四五百種,常見的有羽扇、芭蕉扇、團扇、蒲扇、宮扇、摺扇、竹扇、鵝毛扇等。它們功用不同,團扇為大家閨秀所用;宮扇用作儀仗、有「撇風日」、「示威儀」之意;為農婦、僕婦、媒婆、轎夫所用,文人書生慣用書畫摺扇;而中國著名軍事家諸葛亮手持的鵝毛扇,則是沉著,機智,智慧的象徵。唐代畫家周昉的《簪花仕女圖》上的侍女手持長柄絹團扇,是障扇的一個品種,用絹製成,並在素白的絹面上繪上牡丹,更顯得高貴華麗。五代南唐的顧閎中《韓熙載夜宴圖》此畫是韓熙手持著一柄方形圓角竹絲扇,他的丫鬟手執長柄繪畫圓形絹扇,反映了竹絲扇和絹扇都為豪門貴族所喜愛。


zuì zǎo de shàn zǐ ——zhōng guó shàn de zhǒng lèi

zhōng guó bèi yù wéi zhì shàn wáng guó ,shàn zǐ pǐn zhǒng fán duō ,dà yuē yǒu sì wǔ bǎi zhǒng ,cháng jiàn de yǒu yǔ shàn 、bā jiāo shàn 、tuán shàn 、pú shàn 、gōng shàn 、zhé shàn 、zhú shàn 、é máo shàn děng 。tā men gōng yòng bú tóng ,tuán shàn wéi dà jiā guī xiù suǒ yòng ;gōng shàn yòng zuò yí zhàng 、yǒu 「piě fēng rì 」、「shì wēi yí 」zhī yì ;wéi nóng fù 、pú fù 、méi pó 、jiào fū suǒ yòng ,wén rén shū shēng guàn yòng shū huà zhé shàn ;ér zhōng guó zhù míng jūn shì jiā zhū gě liàng shǒu chí de é máo shàn ,zé shì chén zhuó ,jī zhì ,zhì huì de xiàng zhēng 。táng dài huà jiā zhōu fǎng de 《zān huā shì nǚ tú 》shàng de shì nǚ shǒu chí cháng bǐng juàn tuán shàn ,shì zhàng shàn de yī gè pǐn zhǒng ,yòng juàn zhì chéng ,bìng zài sù bái de juàn miàn shàng huì shàng mǔ dān ,gèng xiǎn dé gāo guì huá lì 。wǔ dài nán táng de gù hóng zhōng 《hán xī zǎi yè yàn tú 》cǐ huà shì hán xī shǒu chí zhe yī bǐng fāng xíng yuán jiǎo zhú sī shàn ,tā de yā huán shǒu zhí cháng bǐng huì huà yuán xíng juàn shàn ,fǎn yìng le zhú sī shàn hé juàn shàn dōu wéi háo mén guì zú suǒ xǐ ài 。