Old-fashioned fans are today mostly appreciated for the craftsmanship and delicacy with which they were produced. But in former times they had their own special function in the hands of women in certain ranks of society. Not just useful articles, they were powerful transmitters of messages in their own unique code. With deft movements of their fans corresponding to this code, women were able to signal their thoughts and their intentions to their admirers without the necessity of a single word's being spoken.