Brisé Fan, with Simple Carved Patterning
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Sandalwood
Classification
Fans
Culture
Chinese, for the European Market
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. J. Magee Elsworth, 1941
Accession Number
41.94.4a
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, where you'll find this exquisite **Brisé Fan with Simple Carved Pattern**, crafted in the 19th century from sandalwood by an unknown Chinese artisan. A brisé fan is a, rigid type without fabric mounting—its slender sticks are intricately pierced and carved to interlace, creating a lightweight, ornamental accessory that unfolds like a whisper. Produced for the European market, this fan exemplifies the booming 19th-century export trade from China, where skilled carvers transformed luxury woods like sandalwood into c...