Blue oval fan

A blue oval fan, one of the most valuable in the Collection of Objects from Asia and South America. The oval shape is the least common of the fan shapes made in China for the Western market (the others being the brisé fan and the folding fan).

The two people sitting by the river in the painting on the obverse represent a teacher and a student, and behind them is a pine tree, which is often a symbol of resilience, longevity, and self-discipline. Mountains are associated with religion as they rise to the sky, and water in the form of a river represents movement. On the reverse of the fan are painted two blue thrushes, one in flight and one sitting on a bindweed branch. The blue thrush is a symbol of good luck and also represents gentle behaviour and enlightenment in China. The pink and white flowering bindweed is a symbol of love, emotions and mortality because the flower blooms for only one day and lovers have so little time to meet. It also represents the month of September and the 11th wedding anniversary. Both sides of the paper are glued to a wooden frame made of bamboo with an ivory handle on which birds and flowers are painted in gold. Above the handle is an embroidered pattern in several colours.

The fan is an older-style oval-shaped fan, of the type later called Swatow fan (Ch. Shantou 汕頭), after the place where they were made in the 19th century. Their production is quite sophisticated. The frame is made of several pieces of bamboo, into which a wire is inserted and wrapped with fluff. Oval fans were not originally intended for export, but were made by the Chinese themselves in the 18th and 19th centuries. Nevertheless, many of them also found their way to the West, and today they are regarded as rarities or are classified as works of art that can fetch high sums at art auctions. (NVG)