Round fan tuanshan

A Chinese fixed fan of the tuanshan type 團扇 from the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912), dated to the 19th century. It consists of a wooden handle 15.5 cm long and a round head with a circumference of 80 cm. On the upper part of the black polished handle, a bird and twigs are engraved on both sides along the entire length of the handle; one side of the handle also has strokes incised with gold paint. Stretched over the black lacquered wooden frame is a beige silk embroidered with Cantonese-style motifs (Yuexiu 粤绣, and Guangxiu 廣繡) in the form of full embroidery and plain double-sided stitch. Depicted are two peacocks, a magnolia in bloom, a peony in bloom, butterflies and the sun in different colours. One peacock with a longer tail (probably a male) sits on a branch, the other on a rock. The phoenix fenghuang 鳳凰), a mythological creature, is a popular motif in Chinese painting, where it is a symbol of virtue and grace. A pair of phoenixes represents the happy relationship between a man and a woman, symbolising yin and yang. Butterflies also signify immortality and marital bliss in Chinese culture, and butterflies flying together are a symbol of love. Magnolia (mulan 木蘭) and peony (mudanhua 牡丹花) are symbols of femininity and beauty. While the magnolia represents spring, the peony is known as the queen of flowers and is also associated with status, wealth and honour. (NVG)