Fan Case with Flowers and Insects on a White Background

Period:: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Date:: mid-19th century

Culture:: China

Medium:: Silk and metallic-thread embroidery on silk satin

Dimensions:: H. 13 in. (33 cm); W. 1 15/16 in. (5 cm); D. 1 in. (2.5 cm)

Classification:: Textiles-Embroidered

Credit Line:: Funds from various donors, 2005

Accession Number:: 2005.371

Not on view

Shown here is an embroidered fan case—an accessory worn at the waist for holding folding fans when they were not in use. The case with a white ground was originally acquired in Beijing by Louis de Geofroy, French ambassador to China in the 1850s. It features an unusual technique—raised-work embroidery, which produces a three-dimensional effect (note the insect motifs).

[ Colette de Geofroy , New York, until 2005; sold to MMA]

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Chinese Textiles," August 2, 2006–February 11, 2007.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Chinese Textiles," September 6, 2011–April 15, 2012.

Timelines
Central and North Asia, 1800-1900 A.D.
China, 1800-1900 A.D.

Department

Asian Art (35,454)

Object Type / Material