Magnificent Chinese Hand Carved Ivory Fan. Qing XIX Century. Very well preserved.

Striking Chinese fan completely made of authentic first class ivory. Qing dinasty, XIX century. This is an exceptional antique which is also a real work of art. The ivory makes very thin plates, which in spite of their delicacy were fully hand-carved with figures, scenes and filigree with an unbelievable accuracy. The fan is in good condition, especially if we consider its fragility and its ancient age. It has only two small flaws in the fourth right rib, while the rest of the piece is complete and flawless. The extremely thin ivory ribs background is carved with vertical strips with a minimal thickness, perfectly parallel and regular. In front of them there are different embossed figures of ancient and wise men which stand among carvings of trees, small pagodas and plants. Some of these men carry books or are studying. In the center we can see a small animal, probably a dog or maybe a lamb, while at the top there are more figures of men, a scarcely carved zone and a series of carvings depicting fruits and vegetables. The exterior ribs are thicker and stronger, and they are carved with one dragon each. At the top and the bottom of each one we can see a figure. This carving is deeper and more detailed than the rest of the fans, and we can say that there is scarcely an only millimeter of the ivorys surface that has not been carved. The impressive artistic work of this exclusive fan and the great quality of the material it is made of make it a very special and rare piece, which any collector of the best Eastern antiques will be proud to own. Measurements: 310 mm width x 110 mm height (open).