The first folding fans were used in Japan in the fourth and fifth century B.C. Over time, they would also appear in the royal courts of Europe and act as a staple piece in women's wardrobes. Today, ...
A quick look online for a collectible old fan will show electric fans made since the late 1800s. But some collectors want even older fans, the handheld folding kind that were being made by the 1700s.