| Description |
Suzhou fans can be classified into three categories: folding fans, sandalwood fans and silk palace fans, but they are all referred to as "Suzhou Ya Fans (制扇技艺)". The folding fan in Suzhou started to be made as of Southern Song Dynasty and became famous since the Ming Dynasty.
"The Royal Concubine Tour" was made by Chinese craftsman Xing Weizhong, and won the Gold Award in the Sixth China Arts and Crafts Master Works and Arts and Crafts Exposition. The fan has a novel conception and uses exquisite traditional manual techniques of drawing, carving, and inlay in artistic expression.
The main body of the fan, with smooth lines and delicate gold filling, shows the spectacular scene of concubine Yang's tour surrounded by courtiers. The fan nails are ingenious, and two lifelike peony flowers are embossed from ivory. Peony is not only the imperial concubine's favorite, but also implies that the imperial concubine was born in Luoyang, the land of peony. |
