Though still invaluable on a sweltering day, the handheld fan was once a much more common item. Employed in religious ceremonies, dances and as an accessory in the act of mourning, it had a ubiquitous presence throughout history from Mesoamerica to North Africa and Europe. Believed to have helped stoke flames during humankind’s earliest days, the handheld fan appears in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics dating from as early as 3000 B.C. In many of its earliest known representations, the fan was This story is from Kinfolk Issue Twenty-Four Buy Now Related Stories Design Issue 51 John Pawson From the king of minimalism: “I find the essential and get the design down to a point where you can’t add or subtract from it.” Design Interiors Issue 51 Axel Vervoordt Inside the world of Axel Vervoordt. Design Issue 51 Inga Sempé “Minimalism is boring as hell, and on top of that, it’s preachy.” Design Issue 51 Halleroed Meet the giants of Swedish retail design. Design Issue 51 Andrew Trotter The architect and designer on renewing traditional architecture. Design Issue 51 Kim Lenschow The architect who wants to show you how your house works.
Design Issue 51 John Pawson From the king of minimalism: “I find the essential and get the design down to a point where you can’t add or subtract from it.”
