A Mixed Collection of Vintage Oriental Hand Fans
This lot brings together a varied group of vintage hand fans, offering collectors a useful study of folding fan design across several decades. The most striking piece is a large black folding fan with a deep lace border and dark sticks, a style often seen in evening wear. Alongside it are a painted fan with a pale landscape and calligraphic inscriptions in the Chinese manner, a set of pale blue scalloped fans, and a box of loose fan sticks and paper leaves. Two further fans, one in pierced light wood and one in black with gilt decoration, show finely cut guards and openwork detail. The printed fan with its colourful scene of riders and figures is more European in character, appearing Spanish in style, so the lot should be viewed as a mixed grouping rather than purely oriental.
Condition and Collectors’ Interest
The fans are presented as found, and buyers should inspect each piece closely before bidding, as the condition of individual items varies. Some wear is visible, particularly to the printed fan’s edges and the paper leaves in the loose box, and no assurance is given that every element is intact. The mix of materials, including lace, painted paper, carved wood and gilt metalwork, makes this lot appealing to collectors of antique fans, costume accessories and decorative ephemera. Those building a study collection, or seeking pieces for display or theatrical use, will find plenty to consider in the range of styles on offer.
