Tuanshan (Chinese: 團扇; pinyin: tuánshàn; lit. 'circular fan'), also called gongshan (lit. 'palace fan'),[1] bian mian (pien mien),[2]: 203, 206  fan of reunion, are typically silk rigid hand fan which originated in China; they are typically circular or oval in shape.[3][4]: 5 [2]: 206  Up to the Song dynasty, the tuanshan appears to have the most common types of the fans in China.[3] These types of fans were mostly used by women in the Tang dynasty.[5] Tuanshan with Chinese paintings and with calligraphy became very popular by the Song dynasty[4]: 8, 12–16  among court circles and artists[1] and even continued to be in use even by the end of the 19th century.[2]: 206  The tuanshan was also used as part of the traditional Chinese wedding and was part of the ceremonial wedding rite.[6] They continue to be produced and sold in present-day China and has become a common form of accessory in Hanfu.[7]

Tuanshan
TypeCircular, rigid Hand fan
MaterialSilk
Place of originChina
IntroducedJapan
Tuanshan
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese團 扇
Literal meaningCircular fan
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinTuánshàn
English name
English(Chinese) rigid fan/ Pien mien

The tuanshan was also introduced in other countries, such as Japan.[5] The tuanshan also remained mainstream in China even after the growing popularity of the folding fans which originated in Japan.[4]: 8, 12–16 

Origins

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The tuanshan originated in China, its prototype was round silk fan which was developed in the Eastern Han dynasty which was itself developed based on the earlier Chinese fans design.[8]

Cultural significance

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Fans play a significant aspect in Chinese culture and Chinese life regarding of social identities and ranks,[1] having functional usage such as cooling and facilitates air circulation and was used as a sartorial accessory and held an important ceremonial use.[3][9] Over time, the Chinese fans have evolved in a cultural artifacts which reflects and incorporate the essence of Chinese folklore culture.[1]

Wedding

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Chinese brides also used a type of moon-shaped tuanshan in traditional Chinese wedding called queshan.[6] The ceremonial rite of queshan was an important ceremony in Chinese wedding: the bride would hold it in front of her face to hide her shyness, to remain mysterious, and as a way to exorcise evil spirits.[6] After all the other wedding ceremonies were completed, such as drinking the hejin wine, and after the groom had impressed the bride (e.g. reciting poems), the bride would then proceed in revealing her face to the groom by removing the queshan from her face.[6][8] This ceremonial rite is referred as Etiquette of removing fan; the performance of such rite can be traced back to the Tang dynasty and continued in the Song dynasty.[8]

Design and construction

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The tuanshan is composed of a handle or stick with a rigid mount like a frame and a fabric whose shape will conform to the desired shape of the tuanshan.[3][10]: 256  Traditionally, they were made of bamboo or ivory with silk fabric, which would stretch across the rigid frame.[2]: 206  It could be decorated with Chinese embroideries or Chinese paintings.[2]: 206 

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Chinese Fan, Once a Symbol of Literati and Social Status - 中国东盟传媒网". www.china-asean-media.com. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  2. ^ a b c d e Garrett, Valery (2012). Chinese Dress : From the Qing Dynasty to the Present. New York: Tuttle Pub. ISBN 978-1-4629-0694-9. OCLC 794664023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Chinese Fans | Chinese Art Gallery | China Online Museum". www.chinaonlinemuseum.com. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  4. ^ a b c Qian, Gonglin (2004). Chinese fans : artistry and aesthetics (1st ed.). San Francisco: Long River Press. ISBN 1-59265-020-1. OCLC 52979000.
  5. ^ a b "A Brief Introduction to Hanfu's Fans Culture - 2021". www.newhanfu.com. 2019-06-04. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  6. ^ a b c d "Chinese Fan — History, Tradition, and Culture | ChinaFetching". ChinaFetching.com. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  7. ^ "汉服那些事儿——汉服配饰知多少_腾讯新闻". new.qq.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  8. ^ a b c Peng, Jing; Ruan, Tianhua (2019). "The application of fan culture in environmental design" (PDF). 2019 International Conference on Management, Finance and Social Sciences Research (MFSSR 2019). Francis Academic Press, UK: 163–169. doi:10.25236/mfssr.2019.036 (inactive 1 November 2024).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
  9. ^ "Ethereal beauty - National Museum in Krakow". mnk.pl. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  10. ^ Weilin, Yuan (2017). Silk ribbon embroidery Chinese style : an illustrated stitch guide. Shanghai. ISBN 978-1-938368-73-8. OCLC 1281183954.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)