La Poste is issuing a new stamp in the Métiers d'Art series initiated in 2016 concerning the know-how of the fan maker.
A little history: dating from Antiquity, the fan has accompanied humanity since its origins, in the form of braided branches, folded and dried lotus leaves or tufts of feathers.
The two main forms of fans still present in our current uses date back to the 16th century, when the Portuguese brought them from China and Japan. Catherine de Medici introduced the taste and uses to the Italian and French court, and it was under Louis XIV and Colbert that the corporation of fan makers was born, becoming one of the jewels of French decorative arts which would shine throughout Europe .
The second golden age extended from the 19th century to the periods of Art Nouveau and Art Deco, where patents for inventions illustrating French excellence multiplied. The fan then went dormant until the 1960s when, once again, it made its comeback in fashion, then in our uses in its most sophisticated or playful forms.
In 2020, the profession of fan-making was classified in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage and is taking on a contemporary dimension in the hands of rare artists...