These fans are of two kinds—rigid and flexible; in both instances they are invariably plaited, the material being stripped palm, bamboo, ivory, peacock quills, etc. The rigid variety is often placed loose in the handle, to allow of its being swung round and round like a policeman’s rattle. See illustration opposite. The hatchet or halberd shape is a development of the flag form, and varies from the simple blade to that of a highly ornamental shape. The material is silk, velvet, cloth or other tissue, often richly embroidered with gold and silver thread, spangles, beetles’ wings, etc., with a fringe of either silver tinsel or peacocks’ feathers; the handles being of wood, cane, or silver. These are at present largely made at Delhi. Occasionally the fan is entirely formed of threaded glass beads of various colours forming a pattern upon a wire framework, with a fringe of tinsel, the handle also overlaid with beads. The primitive palm-fan occurs on the oldest Hindostani bas-reliefs, and is described by the poets. This primeval fan still forms part of the attire of certain Buddhist priests in Siam, and from it they take their name of ‘Talapoins’; the fan’s name being ‘talapat,’ or ‘palm-tree-leaf’ in the Siamese language. [Illustration: ‘TALAPAT’ FAN PANKHÂ. (Embroidered velvet, with silver handle. Moorshedabad. India Museum.) FROM AN ILLUMINATION] This form (the reversed heart) is common to both the smaller hand-fans and the larger ceremonial and processional fans. The natural palm-leaf is employed, trimmed to the required shape, and used either plain, or painted in brilliant colours, or forming a base for a covering of embroidery, feathers or stuffs, as in the example from Moorshedabad (illustrated), which is of velvet, embroidered with silver. [Illustration: Flag Fans, split palm & bamboo. 19th. Cent. Beaded Fan, & Palm Leaf Fan with mica insertions. India Museum.] The lateral form, in which the leaf is set sidewise on the stem, follows the same principle of decorative development. It is used plain, painted, inlaid with talc as in the example illustrated, is embroidered with silk, spangles, beetles’ wings, etc.; it also supplies the shape or decorative _motif_ for fans of a different material, as in the instance of the four long-handled fans, forming portion of the Burmese regalia, obtained from Mandalay in 1885, examples of a barbaric splendour only to be found in the gorgeous East. These are of gold, jewelled with rubies and the ‘nan-ratan’ or nine stone, the handles overlaid with gold and also jewelled. Amongst fans formed of the more precious materials is a disc-shaped fan of gold, set with cabochon sapphires, an offering dedicated by Kīrti Ṡri to the ‘Tooth relic.’[34] Figured in _Mediæval Sinhalese Art_, A. K. Coomaraswarmy. In the collection of the Baroness Salomon de Rothschild at Paris is a fan of jade, richly studded with jewels. [Illustration: FAN OF GOLD (Forming portion of the Burmese Regalia. India Museum.)]