Fan, Egyp. With the Egyptians, the fan of ostrich feathers for brushing away flies was looked upon as the insignia of princes and chieftains; the flabellum or umbellum (parasol) was carried by inferior officers. Both kinds of fan are frequently represented on the sacred barges. The use of the fan was first introduced into England in the 16th century; they were first made of feathers with long handles of gold, silver, or ivory of elaborate workmanship, and sometimes inlaid with precious stones. The engraving shows one from a portrait of Queen Elizabeth. The Greeks and Romans had fans of various elegant materials, often of peacock’s feathers; sometimes of wings of birds, or of linen stretched on a frame. Italian fans, mediæval, were square flags, as in Fig. [303]. Folding fans were first introduced in the 17th century. Inventories of churches and monasteries of the 14th century include ecclesiastical fans or flabella. These are still used in the Catholic Church in the East. An illumination at Rouen represents the deacon raising the flabellum, a circular fan with a long handle, over the head of the priest at the altar. In the accounts of the churchwardens of Walberswick, Suffolk, of 1493, is the entry “for a bessume of pekok’s fethers, IVd.” (Figs. 302, 303.)
Fig. 303. Venetian lady, with a square fan of the 16th century.
Fan-crest, Her. An early form of decoration for the knightly helm.
Fandango. A Spanish dance.
Fane. (1) A vane or weathercock; “a fayne of a schipe,” i. e. a vane on the top of a mast. “Of sylver his maste, of golde his fane.” (2) Anglo-Saxon. A banner. (3) The white flower-de-luce. (Gerard.) (4) Enemies. (Halliwell.) (See also Fanum.)
Fanfare, Fr. A flourish of trumpets.
Fannel or Phannel, O. E. The Fanon (q.v.).
Fanon, Chr. The maniple or napkin worn by the priest at mass. It was originally nothing but a plain strip of linen worn on the left wrist. In later times it was highly decorated, and often made of the richest materials.
Fan-tao, Chinese. A fabulous peach-tree, which blossoms every 3000 years; represented on pottery as an attribute of Cheou-Lao, the god of longevity, who holds in his hand a fruit of it.