Chinese Silk & Bamboo Fan – Cherry Blossom

Description

The Chinese silk bamboo fan with cherry blossom is a traditional folding fan made from split bamboo ribs and a hand-stretched silk leaf, carrying a cherry blossom print on a cream ground. It opens to a full span of approximately 38 cm in a single fluid motion and is built for use as well as display.

The ribs are split bamboo, selected for straightness and flexibility, sanded smooth and lightly lacquered. The outer guards are slightly heavier than the inner ribs to protect the leaf in transit. The silk is hand-stretched across the frame while damp, then dried under tension to create the taut surface the print requires. Open span is approximately 38 cm; folded length is approximately 22 cm. The pivot rivet is brass. Total weight is under 60 grams. The fan operates smoothly and holds its arc without resistance at any degree of opening.

Use the fan by holding the outer guard in one hand and pulling the leaf open with the other, or by snapping the wrist in the traditional one-handed opening motion. For display, it can be held open and rested against a wall mount or a fan stand, both widely available. Store the fan folded and laid flat, or hang it closed. The silk leaf should be kept away from moisture, which can cause the stretched surface to sag or discolor.

The folding fan entered China during the Song dynasty, brought from Japan and Korea, and was absorbed completely into court and literati culture. By the Ming period, fan-making guilds in Suzhou and Hangzhou had codified the proportions, the silk tension, and the seasonal subjects appropriate to each fan type. Cherry blossom, rendered in classical Chinese painting as meihua, signifies the fullness and brevity of beauty. It is a subject chosen precisely because the bloom does not last, and the fan carrying it becomes a compact record of that idea.

What is the difference between a Chinese and a Japanese folding fan? Chinese folding fans typically have more ribs, a wider opening arc, and a larger leaf proportion than Japanese fans. The bamboo construction and silk leaf are characteristic of the Chinese court tradition. Japanese folding fans tend toward fewer ribs, a narrower arc, and a shorter folded length. Both forms originated in Japan; the Chinese version developed distinct proportions after entering the court workshops of the Song and Ming dynasties.