Description:
Chinese export brise fan with a double paper leaf known as a "Mandarin" fan. Similar Mandarin decoration appeared on Chinese export porcelains by the mid 18th century, and was very popular in the 19th century. According to Julia Hutt, the early 19th century applied figure fans "portrayed figures which rarely exceeded fifteen in number, and which were generally of secondary importance in the overall design. Towards the 1820s, the applied figures were portrayed in increasingly large number, together with greater attention to minute detail... figure fans continued almost unchanged until the end of the 19th century." Both sides have a series of pavilions filled with Chinese men and women and a man on horseback, many of whom are carrying fans; their faces are painted on applied ivory ovals, and some robes have applied pieces of silk. This applied decoration was influenced partly by developments in lacquer furniture decorated with ivory, semi-precious stones, mother-of-pearl, etc., and the bone and feather pictures of the Ch'ien Lung period (1736-1795). One side has a leafy blue border with pink flowers and Chinese symbols, such as endless knot (emblem of Buddha), fans (symbol of goodness), coins (emblems of weath and riches), and carp (wish for advantage), and scenes painted in muted blues and greens with some red, purple, brown, etc; there is also a center scene of a man fishing with another man standing behind him with a white building and two mountain peaks in the background not found on the reverse side. The other side has a striking pink border decorated with blue flowers and similar symbols, with brighter coloring in pink, blue, green, white, brown, red, and purple. There are 14 sandalwood sticks, carved and pierced with a straight-line pierced pattern, and 2 guard sticks with carved pavillon scenes. The sticks are pierced at the base with a silver loop with a mother-of-pearl button, which has a purple ribbon from which hangs double, long yellow and blue tassels.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2004.7 |
