Chinese export folding fan with views of Macao and Hong Kong
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Qing Dynasty, Daoguang Period, 19th century
This finely painted Chinese export folding fan is a decorative hand accessory dating from the 19th century. The fan features a paper leaf elaborately painted on both sides.
One side displays three detailed cartouches depicting topographical views from the mid-19th century, including the Praia Grande in Macao, the Hongs in Hong Kong, and a harbor view of Victoria from the Kowloon peninsula. The reverse side is decorated with an intricate scene of daily domestic life, populated by fifty individual figures whose faces are composed of small ivory insets. The fan structure is supported by wooden guards, which are densely carved with stylized scroll motifs.
When fully opened, the fan measures approximately 52 cm in width and 27 cm in height.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Width
- 52 cm
- Height
- 27 cm
- Materials
- Paper, wood, ivory
Design
- Guards
- Carved with stylized scroll motifs
- Obverse
- Three cartouches featuring views of Praia Grande, Macao, the Hongs in Hong Kong, and Victoria harbour
- Reverse
- Busy domestic scene with fifty figures featuring ivory faces
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.