fan

Folding fan with black paper leaf painted in gilt and watercolour, mounted to ivory slats and guards. The obverse leaf is decorated with flowering branches within a fan-shaped panel at centre, bordered with key-fret pattern. Outside the panel are surrounded by bat, 'shou' character and coin motifs, which are the symbols of happiness, longevity and wealth. The reverse leaf is inscribed with a poem set within a fan-shaped panel bordered by key-fret pattern. Surrounding the panels are motifs of two interlocking coins and two interlocking lozenges, which symbolise wealth and victory.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
nn3117i
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall: 235 mm x 330 mm x 10 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
ivory; paper; pigment; gilt
CATEGORY
Anthropology: Ethnography
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Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

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