Miniature Fans
The Consulting Arts has conducted research on miniature hand fans, as international forms of art, since 2010.
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- Written by: Karen Smith-Will
- Parent Category: Research
- Category: Miniature Fans
This is a fixed Japanese fan. It not a prolific type of Japanese fixed fan, at least to our exposure, in comparison to the fixed fan uchiwa, which have silk or a silky fabric stretched over a frame, or the folded fans, sensu (扇子).
- Details
- Written by: Karen Smith-Will
- Parent Category: Research
- Category: Miniature Fans
One often thinks museums will remain forever, but in the case of fan, miniatures and doll museums, that is definitely not the case. Musee de la Poupée was found in the 3rd arrondissement at Impasse Berthaud, near 22 rue Beaubourg, Paris, France, per Wikipedia, until it closed in September 2017.
- Details
- Written by: Karen Smith-Will
- Parent Category: Research
- Category: Miniature Fans
It took months for me to identify the source of this miniature batik fan, when I located it 15 years ago. Batik fabrics are made in India, Indonesia and Bali. These fans typically would be closer to the size of a person's face (without the handle), though this one is only 6-7" long.
So you can imagine my excitement when I read Alka Joshi's passage recently:
- Details
- Written by: Karen Smith-Will
- Parent Category: Research
- Category: Miniature Fans
I usually document my fans fairly well. So, this one was a bit of a surprise. It is just under 1.5" when folded. From the early 20th century, it's made of very thin celluloid and the threading appears to be silk floss.
- Details
- Written by: Karen Smith-Will
- Parent Category: Research
- Category: Miniature Fans
Anita P. brought these lovely brisé portrait fans to my attention. She purchased the larger fan first and later acquired the miniatures. What's fascinating is how similar they all were.
My focus is more on miniature fans for dolls. However, I am very interested in miniatures that replicate fans which are larger, that represent a certain time period. They provide a great comparison, for educational purposes.
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- Written by: Karen Smith-Will
- Parent Category: Research
- Category: Miniature Fans
I'll have a lot more to say about this in my future book, but a recent trip to Williamsburg, Virginia has inspired me. Trying to determine whether fans are miniature or not involves understanding what their full-size counterpoints would look like. In this case, I've identified 3 fans with very similar shapes.
- Details
- Written by: Karen Smith-Will
- Parent Category: Research
- Category: Miniature Fans
Spanish fans, or el abanico, remain important culturally in Spain. Locating them in America, however, is something I do more with my fingertips (typing into a search bar) than with my feet. Until this week.
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- Written by: Karen Smith-Will
- Parent Category: Research
- Category: Miniature Fans
These photos were taken solely as a quick compilation for a short-term project. They include miniature fans, doll fans, children's fans, trick fans, and full size fans. Eventually, they will be published in Miniature Fans: Fans for Dolls and Children, Valutivity Press.
- Details
- Written by: Karen Smith-Will
- Parent Category: Research
- Category: Miniature Fans
Here are a selection of collections of miniature fans I've encountered:
Anna Checcoli Firenze - an Italian collection*
- Details
- Written by: Karen Smith-Will
- Parent Category: Research
- Category: Miniature Fans
Hi friends,
This video shows a quick, 3-hour project I completed to help visualize our collection.