Oval fan uchiwa
An oval fan (uchiwa 団扇), painted on the obverse and blank on the reverse. Two richly dressed courtesans are depicted, one of whom is playing the Japanese string instrument shamisen 三味線. In the background are chrysanthemums (kiku 菊), which symbolise autumn and are also associated with longevity because of their resilience and healing power. It is a reusable fan, in that the image is printed on square paper which was glued to the frame of the fan and then trimmed. If the wooden frame of the fan was not damaged, this could be done several times. The images used were reproductions of prints by famous painters such as Hiroshige. (NVG)
Manufacturing technique: coloured print on paper
Dimensions: height: 18 cm, width: 15 cm
No. of parts: 1
Current owner: Celje Regional Museum
Date of the last acquisition: 1957–1960
Previous owners and periods of ownership: Alma M. Karlin, Thea Schreiber Gammelin, Celje Regional Museum
Object condition, handling and damage: The handle is missing.
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