Past Auctions

A Rare Imperial Tribute Guangzhou Ivory and Tortoiseshell Fan Qing dynasty, Qianlong period The plaited ivory leaf is set within a lobed tortoiseshell frame and divided by a narrow bamboo spine. At the upper end the bamboo is fitted with a gilt metal ruyi head clasp inlaid with kingfisher feather; the opposite end is mounted with a carved mother of pearl lotus plaque set with blue glass and kingfisher feather. Painted ivory appliqués applied to the bamboo and across the ivory surface depict butterflies and a magpie among bamboo, with peaches and dianthus in the foreground. The cylindrical handle is decorated in blue and white enamel with scrolling lotus between ivory mounts and terminates in a silk tassel. Length (excluding tassel): 19 in. (48.3 cm) Objects of this type were produced in Guangzhou during the Qing dynasty as tribute items for the imperial court, particularly under the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors. Court records note the presentation of plaited ivory fans from Guangdong to the Yongzheng emperor in 1731 and to the Qianlong emperor in 1752 (see Tributes from Guangdong to the Qing Court, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1987, pp. 122–123). Constructed from ivory strips under 1 mm in width, the woven leaf was secured within a tortoiseshell border by a central bamboo ridge extending into an enamel-painted handle. Decoration incorporated carved and incised elements in ivory, amber, tortoiseshell, and gilt metal, often set with kingfisher feather. Because of their fragility, relatively few plaited ivory fans survive, most remaining in the Palace Museum, Beijing. Comparable examples include a fan of related form illustrated in Treasures of the Imperial Palace, Beijing, 1995, pl. 87; a double-gourd-shaped fan in the Qing court collection published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Beijing, 2001, pls. 184–185; and another example in Tributes from Guangdong to the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 1987, cat. no. 7. Examples outside China include one in the Field Museum, Chicago (acc. no. 1259271). Further comparable fans have been published and offered at auction, including Christie’s New York, 23 June 1982, lot 458; 6 June 1985, lot 508; and 14–15 September 2009, lot 226. The auction on March 19th, will be conducted online only, with phone bidding available. A three-day public preview will be held March 16th, 17th, and 18th from 9am-3pm EST, and I can accommodate private viewings by appointment.