As spring blooms into summer, it is only appropriate that we take a look at one of the most beautiful, intricate, and popular ways of staying cool from over 100 years ago — the handheld fan!
Since their invention, handheld fans have been a coveted accessory of high society. Their designs and materials shifted with fashion and social trends, yet they consistently remained objects of artistry and elegance. Folding fans appeared in Europe in the late 16th century, and by the 18th century, they had become so popular that both men and women carried them.
These graceful accessories, often crafted of ivory, lace, or silk, also conveyed meaning through a “language of the fan.” A flick of the wrist or subtle twirl could signal interest, intrigue, or dismissal, all without a word being spoken. Beyond their social utility, fans stood as symbols of refinement, affluence, and style, remaining fashionable well into the mid-20th century.
These examples date from the late 19th century. As Victorian fashions introduced larger bustles and more voluminous gowns, fan sizes expanded to match. Their slim, lightweight sticks — typically made of ivory or wood — supported leaves of gauze, lace, or silk, often painted with naturalistic designs such as flowers, birds, or butterflies, and occasionally enhanced with glittering steel or silver spangles. Over the span of 10 years, these late Victorian fans have both similarities in their designs and differences as aesthetic interests changed and evolved.
Lace sits on delicately carved ivory sticks for this stunning fan from 1875. Finely decorated with purple blooms and sprigs of bluebells, the painted elements interact with and play with the floral patterns woven into the lace itself. Additionally dotted with small silver decorations, this fan is a fascinating study of using multiple techniques to beautify an object with a largely “practical” purpose.
Green silk and painted wood craft the body of this fan, hand-painted with nature motifs and butterflies. In the late Victorian era, butterflies were a popular symbol, particularly for jewelry and accessories. The butterfly was believed to represent the soul, and was a source of Victorian fascination due to its metamorphosis, thought to be comparable to human growth and transformation. The butterfly was also used frequently in Japanese art, another Victorian interest. While the butterfly held symbolic weight and intrigue, we can also understand it as an aesthetic and fashionable motif: one can picture the butterflies on this fan “moving” through the air as the fan was waved back and forth!
This 1885 fan is constructed of hand-painted lisse displayed on finely carved ivory sticks. The fan’s bones are intricately carved, but the fabric itself is kept simple except for the vibrant burst of flowers stretching across the fan’s body. Though the fan dates before the Art Nouveau style developed and took hold, the long lines, asymmetrical design, and Japanese-inspired flowers are all deeply reminiscent of the style.
The Wellesley Historical Society hosts a vast collection of accessories, dating from the late 18th-century until now. These three fans, along with several others, are currently on display in our exhibition Wellesley Through Time, up through June 17th, 2026. Stop by for a last chance visit!
Every month, the Wellesley Historical Society highlights an object from its collection. These objects capture Wellesley stories, both those well-known to us and those yet uncovered. Historic artifacts symbolize and convey important narratives, whether that is the hard-working craftsman behind a piece or a written document that shaped the town’s future. As such, the Wellesley Historical Society collections capture the entirety of Wellesley as a town, from significant happenings to sentimental mementos.
More: Past Object of the Month posts
Sign up for Swellesley’s free weekday email newsletter
