Giant fan possibly used in a production of The Mikado
Fan
ca.1885 (made)
ca.1885 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This giant fan may have been used as a stage property in an early production of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera The Mikado that opened at London's Savoy Theatre in March 1885. It would certainly have produced a comic effect when carried by Ko-Ko, the diminutive but bombastically titled Lord High Executioner. There is no proof that this fan was used in The Mikado, but its acquisition by the donor in a lot with two D'Oyly Carte related items makes it seem likely.
The sheer size of the fan makes it a remarkable object in its own right, while the delicacy of the watercolour painting on the leaf indicates that it was painted, if not made in Japan.
The sheer size of the fan makes it a remarkable object in its own right, while the delicacy of the watercolour painting on the leaf indicates that it was painted, if not made in Japan.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Giant fan possibly used in a production of <i>The Mikado</i> (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | painted paper |
| Brief description | Hand-painted giant fan possibly used as a stage property in an early production of Gilbert & Sullivan's comic opera The Mikado. Watercolour on paper with bamboo sticks and guards, probably Japanese, ca.1885 |
| Physical description | Giant fan, hand-painted with a Japanese landscape featuring mountains, trees, people and buildings in black, green, blue and red watercolour on a paper leaf. Edged with a narrow strip of black paper, mounted on bamboo sticks, with polished bamboo guards |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by David Hercock |
| Object history | Bought by the donor as one item in a lot of three objects in July 2018 at Dartmoor Auctions, Bowden Place, Sticklepath, EX20 2NL |
| Summary | This giant fan may have been used as a stage property in an early production of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera The Mikado that opened at London's Savoy Theatre in March 1885. It would certainly have produced a comic effect when carried by Ko-Ko, the diminutive but bombastically titled Lord High Executioner. There is no proof that this fan was used in The Mikado, but its acquisition by the donor in a lot with two D'Oyly Carte related items makes it seem likely. The sheer size of the fan makes it a remarkable object in its own right, while the delicacy of the watercolour painting on the leaf indicates that it was painted, if not made in Japan. |
| Associated objects |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.704-2019 |
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| Record created | October 11, 2019 |
| Record URL |
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