The so-called number of gears refers to the number of fan bones. The two bones at both ends of the fan are big bones, and some bones between the big bones are small bones. The sum of the number of big bones and small bones is the gear number of the fan. And the fan bones are graded. Generally divided into nine, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, sixteen, eighteen, twenty, twenty-two, twenty-four, thirty or even forty gears.
These include:
(1) The fans of Jiutan and Eleven Tantan are all Japanese fans (paying attention to making bones with precious materials such as rosewood and ivory), which were very popular in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, especially favored by literati. Japanese fans have the same thickness of big bones and small bones. The widest part of the big bone is 10 to 12 mm, the narrowest part is 7 mm, and the length is 3 1 to 32 cm.
(2) 12, 13 and 14 are rare. They were popular in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. It is characterized by a square head, a wide bone (referring to the big bone) and a length of about one foot.
(3) Sixteen-tooth model bone is the most popular specification from Qing Dynasty to Republic of China. The fan bone is about 30 to 32 cm long, which is called nine-inch or nine-inch five-fan bone. The width of the big bone is basically the same, and the widest part is 2 cm. Sixteen-speed fan has moderate size, perfect opening (unfolded angle 140 degrees) and comfortable use, so it has been popular for more than 100 years and won the most universal praise.
(4) Eighteen-speed fans became popular after 1949, and the fan bone was about nine inches or nine and a half inches.
(5) The fan ribs of the 20th gear, 22nd gear and 24th gear are small in size, ranging in length from 16 cm to 24 cm, commonly known as 7-inch or 8-inch fans, all of which are Kun fans. (6) The 30th and 40th gears are craft fans, which can form an angle of 180 degrees after being unfolded. The fan bones are short and narrow, and the collection value is not high.