Miniature Fans

Japanese Girl's Day fanThe Consulting Arts has conducted research on miniature hand fans, as international forms of art, since 2010.

Our CollectionValutivityleaftiny Links to other notable collections Valutivityleaftiny Our upcoming book

Messenger creation 4EA66B61 36EF 4389 A161 63EDF08A4903Anita P. brought these lovely brisé portrait fans to my attention. She purchased the larger fan first and later acquired the miniatures. What's fascinating is how similar they all were.

My focus is more on miniature fans for dolls. However, I am very interested in miniatures that replicate fans which are larger, that represent a certain time period. They provide a great comparison, for educational purposes.

I'll have a lot more to say about this in my future book, but a recent trip to Williamsburg, Virginia has inspired me. Trying to determine whether fans are miniature or not involves understanding what their full-size counterpoints would look like. In this case, I've identified 3 fans with very similar shapes.

completoHere are a selection of collections of miniature fans I've encountered:

Anna Checcoli Firenze - an Italian collection*

PXL 20210329 173645567PORTRAIT2Spanish fans, or el abanico, remain important culturally in Spain. Locating them in America, however, is something I do more with my fingertips (typing into a search bar) than with my feet. Until this week.

IMG 20210309 1129292Hi friends,

This video shows a quick, 3-hour project I completed to help visualize our collection.

PXL 20210301 024642466These photos were taken solely as a quick compilation for a short-term project. They include miniature fans, doll fans, children's fans, trick fans, and full size fans. Eventually, they will be published in Miniature Fans: Fans for Dolls and Children, Valutivity Press.