Antique Chinese Fan of the Thousand Faces, in Lacquered and Decorated Wood. XIX Century

Antique Chinese fan made in the 19th century. It belongs to the kind known as Thousand Faces and it is made of painted wood, decorated paper and ivory. The fan comes in its original case, covered with purple paper and hand painted. On the front, the fan shows the characteristic decoration depicting lots of people taking part in Chinese custom scenes. The faces are made of ivory plates, with delicately drawn features. The decoration of the wooden ribs and sides is also remarkable. We can see some scenes involving Chinese dignitaries, painted in different tones of gold. The wood is dark color and the fine brushstrokes highlight beautifully on it. The back of the fan is also hand painted, and it shows a design of birds and flowers. The case is the original one, and though the paper is slightly worn it still keeps all the strength of the color and the beauty of the decoration, hand painted and depicting a bird and different flowers. The fan also retains the original tassel, made of fine silk threads in purple, blue and violet colors. This lovely Oriental Antique will undoubtedly stand up in any showcase or picture on a wall, and it is also a valuable and practical item, perfect for a gift or as a purchase. Fan measurements (open): 490 mm width x 270 mm high.