The poet Valmiki tells of the sumptuous sceptre, studded with jewels, prepared for the sacrifices to Rama—a magnificent fan with a radiant garland resembling the full moon in the clear night sky.
The word punkhá, or pankhá, from pankh, a feather, a bird, is a generic term applied in India to all fans, pankhi meaning a small fan. This derivation serves as an indication of the early use of the plumed fan in India, which divides honours with the palm-leaf fan in point of antiquity, and doubtless also as suggesting a similarity between the beating of a bird’s wings and the movement of the fan.
The earliest plumed fans probably consisted of a pair of complete wings set shoulder to shoulder, resembling the caduceus of Mercury, which was regarded as a symbol of happiness, peace, and concord, the wings expressing diligence.
Feather-fans assume all manner of shapes, as the large round banner-fans already referred to; the familiar crescent-like form with a short
ROYAL STANDARDS
(From a MS. copy of the Akbar-Namah. Sixteenth century.) handle set horizontally at its base; and the various hand-screens, these either composed entirely of peacocks’ feathers, the breast and neck feathers forming a pattern in the centre, with a border of tail feathers; or, the centre formed of plaited pith and cane of various colours, beetles’ wings, etc., with the border again of feathers; the handles being of cane or wood, or of wood covered with cane strippings or other material.
In Persia and Arabia, from the first centuries of our era, fans were made of ostrich feathers, many being ornamented with that form of inscription which is such a leading feature of the decorative art of these countries.
| Large Hand Fan of Sandal Wood, Indian. 18th Cent. pierced & carved. | Mrs Hungerford Pollen. |