Fan
1720-1730 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The East India Company exported many fans made in China to Europe. The decoration on this fan bears a close similarity to Chinese ceramic design. The Chinese artists who made such items were often following European models, although Europeans often saw the end result as highly 'exotic' and 'oriental'. This mixture of 'oriental' design with Rococo, Baroque and Gothic styles is known as Chinoiserie. Both Chinese and European artists worked in the Chinoiserie style, which became extremely popular in the decorative arts during the 18th century. This is a brisé fan, with no fan leaf. The sticks are decorated and held together with a fine silk cord.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Carved, pierced, painted and gilt ivory sticks |
| Brief description | Fan, ivory, piereced, gilt and painted, China, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), 1720-30 |
| Physical description | Fan of ivory, piereced, gilt, painted with figures and flowers in panels. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Credit line | Given by Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt and Lady Wyatt |
| Object history | Given by Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt and Lady Wyatt, accessioned in 1876. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The East India Company exported many fans made in China to Europe. The decoration on this fan bears a close similarity to Chinese ceramic design. The Chinese artists who made such items were often following European models, although Europeans often saw the end result as highly 'exotic' and 'oriental'. This mixture of 'oriental' design with Rococo, Baroque and Gothic styles is known as Chinoiserie. Both Chinese and European artists worked in the Chinoiserie style, which became extremely popular in the decorative arts during the 18th century. This is a brisé fan, with no fan leaf. The sticks are decorated and held together with a fine silk cord. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 2259-1876 |
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| Record created | December 12, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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