Souvenir Japanese fan commemorating the 1000th performance of 'The Mikado' at the Savoy Theatre
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1896
This flat Japanese fan was produced as a theatre souvenir programme in 1896. Constructed with a bamboo handle and radiating bamboo sticks, the fan is embellished at the base of the handle with a red silk tassel. It was manufactured in Japan and later customized in Great Britain with printed text.
The verso of the fan is printed with pictorial imagery depicting foliage and birds, while the recto features an adhered sheet printed in green typeface providing the full programme details for the 1000th performance of the opera 'The Mikado' at the Savoy Theatre on 31 October 1896.
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 opera 'The Mikado, or, The Town of Titipu' by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan premiered at the Savoy Theatre under Richard D'Oyly Carte in 1885. To commemorate its 1000th performance on 31 October 1896, D'Oyly Carte distributed Japanese fans supplied by Regent Street importer Liberty & Co. as souvenir programmes. The programme also featured the afterpiece 'Weather or No' and credited other event suppliers such as florist Messrs. Gerard & Co. and book publishers Messrs. Saxon and Co. This fan was given to the British Theatre Museum Association by Mr and Mrs D.R. Olna-Travers in February 1966.
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- unknown
- Place recorded
- Japan, Great Britain
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
- Souvenir Japanese fan commemorating the 1000th performance of 'The Mikado' at the Savoy Theatre
- Museum object number
- S.1210-1984
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.