The language of hand fans

Although everyone knows that a fan is used to blow cool air, not everyone knows that it is and was also a means of communication.
A hand fan can be extremely useful not only to bring down the temperature and cool off a bit, but also, on the contrary, to warm up emotions and express desires in a very flirtatious way.

A fan expresses more than a hundred words could...

There was a time when the fan played a very important role in human relationships, especially in flirting between women and men. In fact, the fan was called "the sword of women" because some ladies were very good at using this language, sometimes so that their men would not know that they were in dialogue with their lovers.
The 18th century has been called the century of "subtle social play". For this reason, every young lady who wanted to take part in social life had to have a good command of the language of the subject. At times it was very difficult to decipher the meaning of the delicate movements of the fans. For this reason, the then Queen of Switzerland, Luiza Mirck, created the Order of the Hand Fan in 1774 so that the ladies could get to know and study this secret language.
On the one hand, the language of the hand fan is based on the way in which the fan is moved so that feelings and emotions can be communicated. But the fan also revealed a person's social status. He also played a mediating role between lovers.

Is it actually possible to fan out 20 ways?

In Spain, especially in Andalusia, a universal language of hand fans was created between the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a complicated language full of passion and hints. There were nearly 20 phrases women could express. Let's look at some examples:

• If a woman fanned herself quickly, she wanted to say to her lover: "I love you very much".
• On the contrary, fanning slowly or slowly meant "I'm a married woman and I don't care about you".
• The rapid closing and opening of the fan meant "Be careful, I'm already promised to someone".
• Fan out a forelock: "Thinking of you".
• Leaning the fan on the right cheek meant, "Yes." Leaning against the left cheek meant "no". Raising the fan across the eyes meant, "I'm sorry."
• If you closed the fan and then touched your eyes, you wanted to say, "When can I see you?"
• Open the fan and show it: "Can you wait for me?"
• Covering the face with the open fan meant "Follow me when I go".
• Leaning the fan halfway to your lips meant, "You can kiss me."
• Raising a fan across the cheek meant, "I'm married."

It's unbelievable, even then you could use the fan to send short but meaningful messages that could be communicated to the recipient just as meaningfully and quickly as words in an SMS or chat today. Should we revive this type of communication?

Which subject is suitable for learning the subject language?

In itself, every subject is suitable for learning the subject language. However, medium to small sized compartments that are easy to open and close and that fit well in a handbag are particularly suitable. You can practice your own subject language at any time and any place. We have put together some examples from our collections below.

The best way to start practicing the language of the subjects is with a small fan that is easy to hold. And even if the movements and the signs are not imitated exactly at the beginning, as was done in the past, the fan can underline one's own body language, so that even certain movements can create new meanings.

The following examples are from our Classic and Modern collections in simple colors and a restrained design. In our online shop we offer similar but also many other subjects with very different designs and motifs.

Fan with artistic openings

This fan is one of the smaller subjects that we offer. It therefore lies particularly well in the hand and fits in every handbag. It doesn't matter whether it's in the park or in a café, wherever you are, you can practice with him at any time. With its simple design, it goes with every outfit.

Fan row of flowers

A small and light fan that lies wonderfully in the hand. The three rows of flowers, which complement each other in color, give it an enchanting design that can impress, even if you are not quite as proficient in the language of the fans.

Fan bouquet of flowers

This colorful fan, painted with delicate flowers, is easy to hold and easy to open and close, making it fun to practice fan language with.