Medium
Decorative Arts
Classification
Decorative Arts
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Alfred Duane Pell
Accession Number
1939.4.1012
Art Historical Context
This elegant Chinese fan, part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Decorative Arts collection, exemplifies refined artistry of traditional East Asian craftsmanship. Crafted by an unidentified Chinese artist, its unknown date places it within a rich lineage of fans that served both practical and ornamental purposes in Chinese culture. Fans were essential accessories for men and women alike, used to fan away summer heat while doubling as portable canvases for painting, calligraphy, and intricate motifs symbolizing prosperity, nature, or mythology. As a decorative art object, the fan highli...
About the Artist
Unidentified (Chinese)
The artist known simply as "Chinese" in museum records represents the vast tradition of anonymous or unattributed masters in Chinese art history, with 99 works preserved in our collection. These pieces exemplify the enduring legacy of guó huà, or traditional Chinese painting, one of the world's oldest continuous artistic practices. Early life is not well documented, as is common for many practitio...