Welcome to The Hand Fan Museum

current exhibit

Fanimals

july-August | Exhibit Hours: Friday-Sunday, 12-5pm | Admission Free

Fanimals - Where the Wild Things Whirl

A lively menagerie unfolds across the surfaces of hand fans in “Fanimals”, an exhibition celebrating creatures both real and imagined. From parading crickets and marauding rats to soaring storks and graceful butterflies, these fans feature a remarkable variety of animal imagery — sometimes whimsical, sometimes serious, often symbolic. 

Drawn from different artistic cultural traditions and periods, the fans reveal how animals have inspired artists as subjects of beauty, storytelling, humor, and meaning. Together, they create a fascinating parade of life, inviting visitors to discover the many ways the animal world has been brought to life onto hand fans.

Visit The Hand Fan Museum In Healdsburg CA

Every society has used a hand fan of some sort. From palm fronds to feathers-from beautifully painted works of art to jewel encrusted, gold plated objects of incredible value. Fans were used in fashion, religion, battle and ceremony. Why there is even a language devoted exclusively to the hand fan! Fans tell the stories and histories of the cultures and individuals who used them. Art, culture, geography and history - all in the palm of your hand.

The purpose of the Hand Fan Museum is to provide educational and cultural enrichment to the public by utilizing the hand fan as a vehicle for teaching history, art and geography, via publications, lectures and the establishment of a museum where actual hand fans from around the world will be exhibited. The Hand Fan Museum brings cultural and artistic history from around the world to Northern California. The museum is a jewel box-small in size but not in purpose. It is the first museum in the United States dedicated solely to hand fans and displays a permanent collection, as well as a rotating exhibit, that tell, often in beguiling detail, the stories of the cultures and individuals who used them. This endeavor is intended to be both educational and fun - bringing enjoyment to participants of all ages.