Fan (machine) the airflow from the fans. Thus, fans may become ineffective at cooling the body if the surrounding air is near body temperature and contains high humidity. The punkah fan was used in India about 500 BCE. It was a handheld fan made from bamboo strips or other plant fibre, that could be rotated or fanned to move air. During British rule, the word came to be used by Anglo-Indians to mean a large swinging flat fan, fixed to the ceiling, and pulled by a servant, called the punkawallah. For purposes of air conditioning, the Han Dynasty craftsman and engineer Ding
Portrait of a Young Woman with a Fan painting was documented by Hofstede de Groot in 1914, who wrote; "881. A YOUNG LADY WITH A FAN. Bode 253; Dut. 285; Wb. 217; B.-HdG. 101. Three-quarter length; life size. She sits, seen in full face, in an arm-chair, and looks straight out of the picture. She holds her right hand, grasping a black feather fan by its gold chain, to her bosom ; her left hand rests on a table beside her to the right. She wears a black silk gown with puffed and slashed sleeves, a triple close-fitting lace collar and lace wristbands. Round her neck is a