Collector’s delight: Unique hand fans on display

A unique collection of hand fans was displayed at Darat Safeya Binzagr Gallery in Jeddah in an all-women exhibition yesterday.
Safeya Binzagr, an artist herself and the owner of the gallery, told Arab News that the fans showcased at the gallery are her private collection, which she has been amassing for more than 35 years.
“Hand fans are used in almost all parts of the world, and were especially fashionable in the past. However, we never delved into their history and the many untold stories they behold. I am very fond of my collection of hand fans; initially I bought them without paying much attention to their details, but then I began collecting them depending on their different styles and prints. I would buy them from dealers and antique collectors,” she explained.
The exhibition presents different types of hand fans ranging from contemporary to antique pieces, purchased from across the world.
Binzagr explained that the collection displays the wide variety of material, fabric and styles employed in designing hand fans, including straw, feathers, mother of pearl, paper mashie, painting and print, depending on the occasion in which the fan was intended to be used.
She went on to elaborate, “There are different fan sizes available from France, Spain, Japan, China India and other south-eastern Asian countries.”
“Hand fans are cherished tokens belonging to various traditions and cultures, depicting fascinating stories from the past. Each one is a unique piece of art,” Binzagr marveled.
Answering a question regarding the aim of holding such a rare exhibition, she answered, “I want to share my fascination with hand fans with other people, to encourage them to delve deeper into the history of these artifacts that belong to the past now.”
Binzagr began to pay closer attention to fans while visiting other countries, as she admired the array of colors, designs and the different traditions that inspired the use and evolution of fans, in the days when air-conditioners were not invented.
“In the past we used straw fans in the Kingdom and other parts of Asia, however not many people have tried to discover when and how fans became a part of our lives.
In the beginning, women would make their fans from straw and would decorate the handle with silver and other materials.
On a visit to India last year, I had the privilege of seeing the antique collection of Maharaja fans; it was fascinating,” she added.
“Any object has a history and story to tell if we take the time to investigate,” she concluded.