Also ōgi-e 扇絵. Paintings or calligraphy on paper fans. In Japan, two basic types of fans have been used since the Heian period: fans made of thin strips of cypress wood fastened together are called hiōgi 檜扇; and fans which have wood or bamboo ribs covered with heavy paper or silk are called kawahoriōgi 蝙蝠扇. The former is a ceremonial fan properly carried in winter and the latter a functional fan used for cooling in the summer.
The aristocrats of the Heian period held ōgi-e awase 扇絵合, competitions vying for the distinction of possessing the most beautifully decorated fans. Fans of this period, such as the Uta-e hiōgi 歌絵檜扇 and Senmen Hokekyō kawahoriōgi 扇面法華経蝙蝠扇, both in possession of Itsukushima Jinja 厳島神社 in Hiroshima Prefecture, were decorated with scenes from popular narratives such as Genji monogatari 源氏物語 (The Tale of Genji) in colorful pigments, gold, silver and colored papers. During the middle ages, the hiōgi continued to be used for certain court ceremonies, but the kawahoriōgi enjoyed a broader-based popularity. Also at this time, in addition to the traditional themes, Chinese-style paintings and pure ink paintings became popular subjects for fan decoration.
In the 17th-18th century, it became popular to arrange fan paintings, often produced by artists of the Kano school *Kano-ha 狩野派, on folding screens *senmen byōbu 扇面屏風. Fans designed and painted in the studios of *Rinpa 琳派 artists Tawaraya Sōtatsu 俵屋宗達 (?-1643?) and Ogata Kōrin 尾形光琳 (1658-1716) were highly prized for their simplicity of design and richness of technique. In the 18th and 19th centuries, paintings on fans were produced by artists of many schools and styles, including *nanga 南画, *Maruyama-Shijō-ha 円山四条派, and *ukiyo-e 浮世絵.