Folding fan and case
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1864
This object is a Chinese folding fan accompanied by a case, produced around 1864 during the Qing Dynasty. The body of the fan is composed of white feathers edged with soft plumes and painted with an arched arrangement of colorful birds, flowers, and foliage. The sticks and guards are made of intricately carved ivory, displaying pierced decorative patterns. Attached to the bottom of the fan is an ornamental tassel made of silk thread connected to a carved ivory element.
The fan is paired with an associated storage box made of black lacquered wood. While not shown in the view of the fan itself, the box is decorated with figure subjects in gold lacquer, and the interior of its lid features groups of figures created from colored silk and ivory. In terms of dimensions, the fan guard measures 34.3 cm in length, while the lacquer box measures 40.6 cm in length and 8.9 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.
Historical context
The acquisition method and source for this fan and case were not identified in the museum's Asia Department registers, though the object was accessioned in 1864.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Carved ivory and painted feather with silk tassle in a box of black lacquered wood
- Dimensions
- Length (fan guard): 34.3 cm; Height (Box): 8.9 cm; Length (box): 40.6 cm
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- China
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Fan and Case
- Museum object number
- 62&A-1864
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.