I am Desirous of Your Acquaintance
Carrying the open fan in the left hand; or, holding fan in front of face: ‘I am desirous of your acquaintance’.He waits breathlessly in the garden darkness, lurking under the jacaranda tree … will his sweet ladylove find a way to foil her dastardly husband and sneak out of the house to keep their tryst? Or will he go home, disconsolate? He must await some signal from her; surely it will come soon, for she knows what agonies beat in his breast …
Ah yes, once upon a time, in a more romantic age before mobile phones, clandestine lovers communicated via another method in … THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF THE FAN!
Slowly fanning oneself; could also mean (when fanning with specifically the left hand), ‘Don’t flirt with that woman’ – in this instance I guess the gentleman would use the lady’s expression as a guide!Fans have been used as far back as the days of ancient Greece and Rome, unsurprisingly, as a method of keeping one’s cool. In the 2nd century B.C. China, specific fans were associated with status and gender, though the famous dancing fan was not developed until the 7th century. There were even iron fans used as weapons, bringing new meaning to the cruelty of lovers.
But perhaps the heydey of the fan was in eighteenth century Europe, especially in the ballroom. It was an essential accessory, and just as important as knowing the ABCs of love was knowing how to wield it elegantly. As was said of Queen Charlotte, wife to King George III, even the plainest woman could become attractive if she used her fan graciously. Young ladies, therefore, were instructed on the proper way to handle their fan.
… even the plainest woman could become attractive if she used her fan graciously.
Rigid or folding, fans have been constructed from many materials: bone, ivory, tortoiseshell, painted silk or paper, chicken skin (an unattractive way of describing a fine kid), and were decorated with gold or silver leaf, feathers or even jewels. Louis XVI gave Marie Antoinette a diamond-encrusted fan for a wedding present. Queen Elizabeth I carried a folding fan dancing with pompoms (I like the sound of that!).
Fans in my collection: (clockwise from top) vintage wooden fan threaded with navy ribbon; Spanish souvenir; vintage painted paper fan, a souvenir from Hong Kong (the reverse side is painted with calligraphic characters); Vietnamese souvenir.
Holding the open fan over the left earBack to my breathless Romeo … best put him out of his misery. He will instantly know, if the lady in question briefly appears on the balcony fanning herself slowly, before returning inside and shutting the door, she cannot go out to meet him. If, on the other hand, she fans herself quickly and excitedly, and leaves the door open, he will know she will come out soon.
It was quite a complex language, and a lady (and the gentleman of course) had to remember the difference between left and right – it might mean the difference between disaster and bliss.
It was really difficult to choose which of these priceless messages to illustrate. One of my favourites was the holding the fan to shield oneself from the sun – to signal, “I find you ugly!” Somewhat difficult to pull off in a ballroom, I imagine.
Holding the closed fan over the left earHere are some fan signals for your delectation:
- The fan placed near the heart: “You have won my love”
- A closed fan touching the right eye: “When may I be allowed to see you?”
- The number of sticks shown answered the question: “At what hour?”
- Threatening movements with a fan closed: “Do not be so imprudent”
- Half-opened fan pressed to the lips: “You may kiss me”
- Hands clasped together holding an open fan: “Forgive me”
- Covering the left ear with an open fan: “Do not betray our secret”
- Hiding the eyes behind an open fan: “I love you”
- Shutting a fully opened fan slowly: “I promise to marry you”
- Letting the fan rest on the right cheek: “Yes”
- Letting the fan rest on the left cheek: “No”
- Opening and closing the fan several times: “You are cruel”
- Dropping the fan: “We will be friends”
- Putting the fan handle to the lips: “Kiss me”
- Opening a fan wide: “Wait for me”
- Fan in right hand in front of face: “Follow me”
- Fan in left hand in front of face: “I am desirous of your acquaintance”
- Fan held over left ear: “I wish to get rid of you”
- Twirling the fan in the left hand: “We are being watched”
- Twirling the fan in the right hand: “I love another”
- Carrying the open fan in the right hand: “You are too willing”
- Carrying the open fan in the left hand: “Come and talk to me”
- Drawing the fan through the hand: “I hate you!”
- Hiding the sunlight: “You’re ugly”
- Presenting the fan shut: “Do you love me?”
Forget the air con, employ a fan! It’s much more fun.
Shielding oneself from sunlight (or the harsh glare of those chandeliers in the ballroom)