I am Shy, but I’m Willing… - a photo on Flickriver

            The language of the fan was a vital aspect of a Georgian lady's expression. However, regardless of how fashionable your fan was, you would not be considered elegant unless you held it in the right way. It was believed that even the plainest woman could become attractive if she used her fan graciously.  In times past, there was a whole language communicated through how and where you held your fan, or how you used it.  For example, the tip of a fan placed to the lips implied “come over and converse with me”, a fan over the heart meant “I love you” and fanning yourself quickly with the fan facing up indicated “I’m single”. 

The theme for “Smile on Saturday” for the 12th of November is “part of a human face”.  In the last twelve to eighteen months, I have been exploring a new avenue in my photographic creativity, that of portraiture photography.  I used a somewhat illusive sitter for the “Smile on Saturday” theme of “nose” in September 2021 and for “Looking Close on Friday’s” theme of “dots and stripes” in October 2011, “lips” in November 2021 and “feathers (in black and white)” in December 2021.  Since that time, he has been absent from my photostream.  I have asked him to return for a fifth time, and is this time showing us a bit more of his face than in previous themes.  My sitter has kindly shirked his garb completely, or so it appears, and taken up one of my antique fans in a coquettish conversation with a fan.  An open fan held below the eyes indicates “I’m shy, but I’m willing”.  I suspect this to be correct on both counts when considering my sitter.  I do hope that you like my creation for this week’s theme of “part of a human face”, and that it makes you smile… maybe even a little cheekily!

I love to collect vintage accessories.  This includes antique fans.  My favourite fans are those from the Victorian and Edwardian era.  Fans from these eras are extremely ostentatious and beautiful, but at such advanced age are often very fragile.  Such is definitely the case with this fan.  My sitter holds a Victorian fan of the 1850s of black silk which has been beautifully hand embroidered with flowers in colourful embroidery silks, which is why I left the embroidery in colour in this selective colour image.  It seemed a shame to remove the colours which are still vibrant, even after one hundred and seventy years.  The fan has been set on hand cut and shaped gilded wooden struts.

Taken on: October 30, 2022

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