Round fan tuanshan

A Chinese fixed fan of the tuanshan 團扇 type, from the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912), dated to the 19th century. It is round, but its edge is concave in four places, giving the impression of four slightly curved sides. In the centre is an upright support that curves inward at the top and is wrapped in a brocade-patterned fabric. On the lower part there is a wooden tile painted with motifs of the sacred mountain Meru, lotus and horns. On the black lacquered handle are carved flowers. The frame of the fan is made of wood, polished black. Red silk is stretched over it, on which is applied carved wood with various motifs. At the junction between the wooden frame and the stretched silk is a gold strip. On a green background representing grass, there are branches of a magnolia in bloom, under which there are two phoenixes. The phoenix (fenghuang 鳳凰), a mythological creature, is a popular motif in Chinese painting, where it symbolises virtue and grace; a pair represents the blissful relationship between a man and a woman, making it also a symbol of yin and yang. The magnolia (mulan 木蘭) is a symbol of femininity and beauty. It also represents spring. The fan is decorated in the kesi 緙絲 technique, which is Chinese silk embroidery with rich motifs. The silk is patterned (or the motifs applied with other materials) and then stretched on a frame made of various materials (wood, ivory, jade). Such fans were often used for ritual purposes. The decorative tile is slightly damaged, and the decorative string is torn at the edge, but the fan is in relatively good condition. (NVG)