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Most people given the choice would never opt for the fan as a summer cooling system, yet even a cursory look at the history of the fan in Korea arouses some nostalgia as we discover that it was an article, beautiful, graceful and even dignified and mysterious.

The devotees of the fan have mostly disappeared from our midst in these days of electric devices for beating the heat, but when you consider that bamboo was used for the ribs of the traditional fan, and that an item often appearing on the agenda of the royal court was the sever devastation of bamboo groves, you have some ideas of how many fans waved in Korean hands.

Painting fan leaves has always been regarded as a branch of the fine arts in the Orient. Korean fans were first painted during the 13th century and by the 15th century the exchange of calligraphically or painted fans were very popular among members of the aristocratic class. Many were carefully kept rather than put to practical use as they were considered too precious. Their subjects featured various aspects of Korean life.

Photo credits:
http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/pic8.htm