Artisan Li Jing graces Chinese traditional cut silk circular fan

In 2016, super models and film stars offered some stunning fashion shots with the round fans in their hands.

Liu Wen. Photo courtesy: Bazaar

Dressed in western gown in a British castle, Chinese supermodel Liu Wen still managed to convey the charm and grace of an oriental woman holding a delicate fan.

Fan Bingbing, who played in many costume dramas, also used the round fan to connect the classical and the modern fashion.

Fan Bingbing. Photo courtesy: Bazaar

The round fans are from the Leisure Cottage Round Fan Studio in Suzhou, east China. The studio is located inside the deep lanes, with a classical garden just like the ones in ancient poems and paintings. Li Jing is the owner of the studio. Although graduated from a design school, he wasn't a professional round fan craftsman at the beginning. 

Round fans, also called circular fans, were first seen in the dynasty of Han, and became important belongings for women in the palace during the Tang and Song dynasties. Painters and poets liked to leave their works on the fans, turning them into pieces of art. Women tended to hide their faces behind the fans to show their elegance. Sometimes they would use the fans to imply the solitary life in the royal palace. All these infused the round fans with a sense of feminine grace and sorrow.

Li Jing. /By CGTN

Li got to know about the round fans through traditional operas. He found them very appealing as props on stage. Later he began to collect antiques, including pieces of round fans. "Round fan was actually one of the earliest fans in China. In the poems and literature works even before the dynasty of Ming, the 'fans' all referred to round fans. It has such a long history," explains Li.

CGTN Photo

"I got some frames and handles from the antique markets. They had very beautiful carvings, which attracted me so much. I took them to Suzhou, hoping to find some craftsmen to restore them." 

To his surprise, there wasn't any craftsman in the city who was able to restore the k'o-ssu fans. As a dedicated collector who always wanted to have control, Li decided to do it himself. Bringing all his savings, plus 100 thousand yuan given by his father and 50 thousand lent by friends, he came to Suzhou and established the studio. He went to every corner of the counties around on foot, searching for the craftsmen who still knew the k'o-ssu technique.

CGTN Photo

K'o-ssu fans require very sophisticated techniques. In ancient times, they were exclusive to the royal families. An old craftsman said: "K'o-ssu was as valuable as gold. If you used the wrong color here, you'll have to dismantle it and do it all over again."

It may take several craftsmen to finish a round fan inlaid with gold and silver threads. However, most of the craftsmen are in their sixties or seventies. They don't have successors. "Young people wouldn't learn it," says Li, "although I want to promote the traditional things so that people can enjoy it."

CGTN Photo

Li believes that the most attractive part in the round fans is the classical aesthetics: "The Chinese values inner spirits more than the figures. When we make a butterfly, it doesn't have to be exactly the same as a real one. How do we make it as beautiful, but not limited to the real thing? We'd have to put our own imagination and preference in it. That's why the traditional art is fascinating."

CGTN Photo

CGTN Photo

For Li, making fans is like communicating with the ancient people. The enjoyable hobby, however, has to meet the reality: "As the craftsmen, we hope that more people could appreciate its beauty and be willing to spend money on it. The art can be passed on, but not merely by preaching the love for it."

The National Women's Soccer League, its players union and the Orlando Pride and Gotham FC have denounced reports of “hateful language” directed at Pride forward Barbra Banda.

The statements Monday came in response to a report about a fan behavior at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, where Gotham hosted the Pride on Sunday. A Gotham season ticket holder posted in an online forum that Banda was subjected to racist and transphobic comments.

“We are united in our message: This behavior is unacceptable and has no place in our leagues and in our stadiums,” the NWSL statement said.

The Pride defended Banda, who is in her second season with the club and also played for her native Zambia in two Olympics and in the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Banda was subject to transphobic online abuse last year after she was named the BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year, stemming from a mishandled sex eligibility case that kept Banda out of a the African championship in 2022. FIFA said the next year she was eligible to participate in the World Cup.

Banda was assigned female at birth and does not identify as transgender.

“Barbra is an outstanding role model and an influential advocate for soccer both in Africa and here in the United States. We look forward to continuing to celebrate and support her on and off the pitch,” Orlando's statement said.

Gotham said security responded to the incident once it was reported. The team and the NWSL are investigating and will take action under the league's fan code of conduct, which prohibits fans from using "threatening, abusive, or discriminatory words, signs, symbols, or actions based on race, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, cultural identity, nationality, citizenship status, age, appearance, disability, and/or religion.”

Gotham also said it had reached out to apologize to the Pride.

“There is no place for harassment or abuse in our sport, and we support efforts to address this incident swiftly and responsibly,” the NWSL Players Association said in a statement. “Soccer is built on principles of fairness, inclusion, and respect for human dignity — any form of hateful conduct undermines these values and has no place in our fandom.”

The NWSLPA went on to call Banda a “generational talent” who deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

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FILE - Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda (22) runs past Washington Spirit defender Tara McKeown (9) during the second half of the NWSL championship at CPKC Stadium, Saturday, November 23, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)