Flabellum a fan, later of an umbrella or canopy, was used as a mark of honour for bishops and princes. Prior to Vatican II, two fans of this kind were used at the Vatican whenever the pope was carried in state on the sedia gestatoria to or from an altar or audience-chamber. Through the influence of Count Ditalmo di Brozza, the fans formerly used at the Vatican were presented in 1902 to a Mrs. Joseph Drexel of Philadelphia, USA, by Pope Leo XIII; in return, she gave a new pair to the Vatican. The old ones are currently exhibited in the
The House of Discarded Dreams strength and confidence in herself, which she has always been searching for. Vimbai is attempting to discover who she is but also struggles with the notion of being stuck between cultures, having strictly raised African parents, and Vimbai being born American, but raised with the two cultures as her influence in life. Select aspects of the Zimbabwean culture, such as the Shona language and religion, show up in "The House of Discarded Dreams". Sedia also employs on the Zimbabwean folkloric character called the "wazimamoto", a fire-truck driving vampiric character that is traditionally seen as stealing the "cultural blood" of the