- 100
A SET OF WOOD 'PRUNUS' FAN FRAMES ATTRIBUTED TO ZHOU YI, LATE QING DYNASTY
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 HKD
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Description
- wood
one end of the frames picked out above the handle as a gnarled branch bearing prunus blossom and attendant buds, the other carved as a bamboo root, all above a formalised wavy handle
Catalogue Note
The unusually fine carving and artistry of this fan frame suggests the hand of Zhou Yi of Changsha, the famous carver of wood and ivory from the late-Qing dynasty (see Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar’s Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, p. 62).
The orientation of naturalistic fan-frame-ends, as opposed to those of the standard shape, is intriguing. Standard-shape ends are orientated to match the painting of the fan and are decorated to be seen when the fan is held in the hand in the usual position for use. The present example with its unusual alternating views allows for one end to be suited to holding in the hand, and use, and the other to be enjoyed when the fan is placed on a table.
The orientation of naturalistic fan-frame-ends, as opposed to those of the standard shape, is intriguing. Standard-shape ends are orientated to match the painting of the fan and are decorated to be seen when the fan is held in the hand in the usual position for use. The present example with its unusual alternating views allows for one end to be suited to holding in the hand, and use, and the other to be enjoyed when the fan is placed on a table.