In 2016, super models and film stars offered some stunning fashion shots with the round fans in their hands.
Liu Wen. Photo courtesy: Bazaar
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In 2016, super models and film stars offered some stunning fashion shots with the round fans in their hands.
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.
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.
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.
"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."
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."
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."
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."
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Charlie Russo had an unbelievable view of Hank Aaron's record-breaking 715th home run. Fifty years later, he's ready to share it with the world.
The 81-year-old Russo is releasing his long-private footage of the moment Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record on April 8, 1974, which he captured after surreptitiously following Aaron's family onto the field at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. He was right there celebrating at home plate with Aaron, his family and teammates — including Dusty Baker, who was on deck for the Atlanta Braves when Aaron connected.
“Was that guy filming?” Baker asked when told about the video made available to The Associated Press by Russo and his family. “Come on! I’ve never seen that!”
Russo's video shows Aaron — standing just feet away — raising his right arm and smiling to the cheering crowd.
“Everything just fell into place,” Russo said. “I mean, just everything we did was just, you know, magical.”
Russo says he and his uncle, Joseph Mathews, obtained the coveted tickets before making the drive from Savannah. The game was a sellout, with a crowd of 53,775. Russo recalls that finding the tickets was just the start of a charmed day.
Russo was filming from seats behind the third-base dugout when Aaron’s drive cleared the wall in left-center in his second at-bat. He then walked closer to where he had seen Aaron’s family and entertainers Sammy Davis Jr. and Pearl Bailey seated. When Aaron's mother, father and others made their way toward the field, Russo followed.
“They open the gate and they go,” Russo said. “So I go in the field, too. I mean, it’s just like ‘OK, I’m part of the family.’”
Russo's shots — filmed with an 8 mm camera — show him getting closer and closer to Aaron, until suddenly Aaron is grinning inches away from his lens. He also got a close-up moment with Davis, who had promised $25,000 to whoever caught the home run. Footage from other cameras shows Russo, in a brown leather jacket, standing directly behind Aaron while the Hall of Famer waved to someone in the stands.
It was remarkable access given the security concerns around Aaron at the time. Aaron received numerous death threats as he approached Ruth's record, the target of racism as a Black man set to pass a white player whose mark was set while the sport was segregated. Despite extra security, Russo — who is white — said he was never questioned.
“Nobody says anything,” he said. “Well, all the attention is on Aaron, you know?”
Former Braves media relations director Bob Hope says a popular rumor was that police snipers were in place atop the stadium due to security concerns. Hope says that wasn’t true, but when told about Russo’s story, he acknowledged security should have been more stringent.
Russo wasn’t the only unauthorized visitor on the field. Two 17-year-old fans, Britt Gaston and Cliff Courtenay, barged onto the diamond and joined Aaron as he ran around the bases.
“I mean, I don’t know how the security wasn’t tighter than it was,” Hope said. “It definitely should have been. ... I mean, the two kids run around the bases. Oh my gosh, if there were snipers, they would would have gotten them for sure.”
While filming, Russo looked down to see the rosin bag and weighted donut used by Braves hitters in the on-deck circle. Russo reached down and placed the items in his jacket.
"I was just down there and, you know, I think everything just sort of fell into place,” Russo said. “OK, this is the rosin bag and a donut. Oh, my Lord. And I put them in my pocket.”
Aaron visited Savannah a few months later and gave Russo a signature, which was placed in a frame with the rosin bag, donut and Sports Illustrated cover showing the record homer. Russo now wants to pass along the rosin bag and donut, perhaps for auction.
Russo said Aaron was not upset to learn Russo had the items from the on-deck circle.
“He was nice as he could be,” Russo said. “Came in and autographed them. ... I mean, his demeanor is just ‘Oh, man, that’s beautiful.’ And, I mean, he’s fine. And he signed them, ‘Best wishes, Hank Aaron.’”
Aaron finished his Hall of Fame career with 755 homers, a record broken by Barry Bonds in 2007.
The Braves plan to celebrate the 50th anniversary at Truist Park next week. Baker, who retired as Houston Astros manager after last season, plans to attend, along with Tom House, the relief pitcher who caught the homer in the Braves bullpen. Baker and Hope were the only non-family pallbearers at Aaron's funeral following his death at 86 in 2021.
Russo said being so close to one of the most famous homers in baseball history was not his first brush with a memorable game. He said he jumped over Sanford Stadium's hedges to walk onto the field after Georgia's young coach, Vince Dooley, beat Alabama's Bear Bryant in 1965.
He also has a framed photo of himself standing beside Pete Maravich in the Louisiana State locker room after Maravich scored 58 points in a double-overtime win at Georgia in 1969.
“Maybe it’s my demeanor that, you know, it’s an occasion,” Russo said. “And when you do these things, you've got to go ahead and do them. You can’t sit and think about them."
Russo isn't one to just sit. He still works six-day weeks at the fish market founded by his father in 1946. He says he wouldn't hesitate if he had another opportunity to leave the stands for an up-close view of history.
“Yes,” he said. “If the event called for it, yes I would.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
FILE - Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron (44) breaks Babe Ruth's record for career home runs as he hits No. 715 off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing in the fourth inning of a baseball game at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., April 8, 1974. Just in time for the 50-year anniversary of Hank Aaron's record 715th home run, Charlie Russo is making available video he shot of the homer. (AP Photo)
FILE - Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron tips his hat to teammates greeting him at home plate after hitting his 715th career home run during a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Atlanta, Monday, April 8, 1974. Just in time for the 50-year anniversary of Hank Aaron's record 715th home run, Charlie Russo is making available video he shot of the homer. (AP Photo/Joe Sebo, File)
FILE - Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron eyes the flight of the ball after hitting his 715th career homer in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Atlanta, Ga., Monday night, April 8, 1974. Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record of 714 career home runs. Dodgers southpaw pitcher Al Downing, catcher Joe Ferguson and umpire David Davidson look on. Just in time for the 50-year anniversary of Hank Aaron's record 715th home run, Charlie Russo is making available video he shot of the homer. (AP Photo/Harry Harris, File)
Charlie Russo speaks during an interview at his home Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. Russo had an unbelievable view of Hank Aaron's record-breaking 715th home run. Fifty years later, he's ready to share it with the world. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Charlie Russo speaks at his home Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. Russo had an unbelievable view of Hank Aaron's record-breaking 715th home run. Fifty years later, he's ready to share it with the world. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Charlie Russo speaks during an interview at his home Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. Russo had an unbelievable view of Hank Aaron's record-breaking 715th home run. Fifty years later, he's ready to share it with the world. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
FILE - Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron, top, is congratulated by teammates at home plate after hitting his 715th career home run in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Atlanta, Monday night, April 8, 1974. Just in time for the 50-year anniversary of Hank Aaron's record 715th home run, Charlie Russo is making available video he shot of the homer. (AP Photo/Charles Knoblock, File)
FILE - Hank Aaron holds aloft the ball he hit for his 715th career home run, against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Atlanta, Ga., Monday night, April 8, 1974. Just in time for the 50-year anniversary of Hank Aaron's record 715th home run, Charlie Russo is making available video he shot of the homer.(AP Photo/Bob Daugherty, File)
Charlie Russo describes how he shot home movie footage of Hank Aaron's record-breaking home run in 1974 during an interview at his home Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. Besides shooting the movie footage of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's home run record, he took the rosin bag and batting doughnut from the on-deck circle after sneaking onto the field. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Charlie Russo speaks during an interview at his home Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. Russo had an unbelievable view of Hank Aaron's record-breaking 715th home run. Fifty years later, he's ready to share it with the world. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
