Folding Fan

Item number Ed1.195 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

A closing fan with twenty-three inner ribs of split bamboo each with a butterfly(?) design burned on the base of each side and two parent ribs of bamboo each with a burned design. Each parent rib is set into a dark rosewood piece through which the brass rivet passes. Fan has light brown paper on one side only, on which a dinner menu in French is printed for June 10, 1929. Attached to the rivet, there is a knotted white silk cord, 17.5 cm. long, on which is strung an orange glass bead (red jade?). At each end of this, there is a knotted flat tassel of braided white cotton bound with gold coloured metallic thread.

History Of Use

Folding fans were used by members of the official “Yangban” class, and sometimes by women of other classes. Korean folding fans were very well-made, and were exported to China and Japan during the Koryo and Chosun Periods. Some had a large number of fine ribs.

Iconographic Meaning

The bat on ribs of fan is a symbol of good fortune. The herb on the sides of the fan symbolizes immortality

Item History

Made in Korea before 1935
Collected before 1935
Owned by Marion Stephan
Owned by Charles H. Stephan before January 10, 1977
Received from Charles H. Stephan (Donor) on January 10, 1977

What

Name: Folding Fan
Identification Number: Ed1.195
Type of Item: fan
Material: paper, bamboo grass, metal, paste adhesive, ink, silk fibre and jade mineral
Manufacturing Technique: cut, split, pasted, printed ?, stamped ?, burned and riveted
Overall: height 24.5 cm, width 39.0 cm, depth 3.5 cm