Ivory Silk Woven Flower and Bird Wan Fan

[Ivory Silk Woven Flower and Bird Wan Fan]

Ivory Silk Woven Flower and Bird Wan Fan, mid Qing Dynasty, with a handle length of 57.5cm and a fan face length of 33.6cm
The fan is in the shape of a banana with a round waist, and the upper part is slightly rolled. The fan edge is wrapped in a tortoiseshell frame, with an enamel handle painted in light green with butterfly patterns, inlaid with bone beads, and tied with bright yellow silk spikes. The center of the fan is inlaid with a palm bamboo beam, and is inlaid with a copper-plated emerald carved bat pattern to protect the top. The upper, middle, and lower parts of the beam are each inlaid with embossed disk Kui and treasure phase patterns of orange, purple, yellow, and red honey wax to protect the top. The delicate, clean and white fan surface is woven from thin, comb-like dental filaments that are less than 0.1 cm wide. The fan is inlaid from the handle upward with flowers such as dyed teeth and shallow relief magnolia, peony, and blue meadow birds. The fan pattern is exquisite and dense, with even holes and seams. The combination of warp and weft pieces is seamless, with gorgeous colors and elegant appearance
This ivory silk weaving and inlaying process is best practiced by Guangzhou craftsmen. Similar artifacts of tribute from Guangdong can often be seen in the “palace entrance documents” that remain today.