Here we see a full size and child’s version of the fan.

A winnowing fan is used to separate the chaff from the grain so that the grain can be cooked and eaten, chaff being indigestible to humans. As an ancient, low tech object, it is invaluable and still used in many countries of the world. The biblical reference (Matthew, 3, 12) to separating the chaff from the grain is taken to mean sorting the good, or valuable, from the bad, or less valuable.

All over the Indian sub-continent, this type of tray is used, almost always by women, to collect and then winnow rice, separating the rice grains from the husks. The rice grains are tossed on these woven trays. The heavy grains fall back into the tray and the husks blow away. Rice is a staple food in Asia and other regions, and is grown in paddies.

The woven basket is light and so, when filled, does not add much to the weight of the rice. The bamboo frame is similarly very light. The shape of the fan helps the process too as it is easy to hold. The small version could be used as a toy.