Fan
Artist/Culture
Chinese
Date1800s
Mediumlacquered sticks, ivory figure heads
DimensionsClosed: 29.2 × 2.7 × 4.4 cm (11 1/2 × 1 1/16 × 1 3/4 in.)
Open: 28.3 × 52.5 cm (11 1/8 × 20 11/16 in.)
Open: 28.3 × 52.5 cm (11 1/8 × 20 11/16 in.)
ClassificationsCostumes and Accessories
Credit LineGift of Miss Helen Wyeth
Object number1933.6
DescriptionSixteen gold and black lacquered sticks with design of tea garden. Paper mount with landscape and figures in water colors on both sides. Heads of figures are of ivory.Label TextChinese export fans were sold to European markets as early as the 16th century, first to Spain and later to Italy and France. By the late 17th century, Chinese fans became an important trade item among products such as porcelain wares, tea, and textiles. This fan is an exquisite example made in Canton of China’s Guangdong Province in the 19th century. After 1757, the Qing dynasty government closed other international trade ports and set Canton as the only port. By the 19th century, Canton had over five thousand workshops producing textiles and various artifacts targeted at foreign markets. By the first half of the 19th century, the United States turned into an important trade partner with China and Chinese export fans flooded urban centers on the east coast. This fan was constructed with lacquered wooden sticks and covered with paper fan leaves on both sides. The decoration technique was unique to workshops in Canton. On the paper leaves, a large number of figures are depicted, on which the faces are painted on tiny pieces of ivory and the clothes are made of real silk, pasted onto the paper ground. The lacquered wood sticks are painted with gold pigments. The extravagant materials used and the complicated decorative processes showcase the artisans’ remarkable skills. The layers of ivory and textile on the paper fan leaves, together with the rich colors in blue, red and green add volume to the fan. Such a fan was considered a luxurious item affordable only by the wealthy class. Garden scenes are depicted on both the fan leaves and the lacquered wooden sticks. Pavilions, bridges, boats, plants, and remote mountains are featured--all were key motifs of a Chinese garden in the eyes of Europeans and Americans. They perceived men and women gathering in gardens as a popular leisure activity in China. Such scenes became favorite subject matter for export goods including fans and ceramic wares.
On View
Not on view