Under the Eaves of a Fan Shop
two-fold screen, Edo period, 17th century
Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts (Taman Collection)
Dancers
Dancers
Album of Fan Paintings
Fans Floating on a Stream
Scattered Fan Paintings from The Tale of Genji
Fan-shaped Lidded Container
Anexhibition dedicated to Japanese fans has opened at the Suntory Museum of Art.
Some aspects of Japanese culture were brought from China through the Korean Peninsula before being molded and developed into uniquely Japanese objects in this island country. The fan, however, is one of the few objects that actually originated in Japan.
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You may have encountered certain paintings depicting European female aristocrats holding these fans, which were introduced to the West from Japan after passing through China. They must have been considered fascinating, exotic items.
The outline of the exhibition is as follows. The diverse range of fans and artwork reveals the profound relationship between Japan and the fan, and offers hints that draw you deeper into Japanese culture.
Inside the Country of Fans
序章ここは扇の国 Introduction This is the Country of Fans
第1章 扇の呪力 Section 1The Mystical Power of Folding Fans
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第2章 流れゆく扇 Section 2Fans Floating Away
第3章 扇の流通 Section 3Distributing Fans
第4章 扇と文芸 Section 4Folding Fans and the Literary Arts
第5章 花ひらく扇 Section 5Folding Fans Flourish
終章 ひろがる扇 Conclusion The Folding Fan Unfurls
八 is the Japanese kanji character for the number eight. But the character is also called suehirogari, meaning “broadens gradually at the ends.” It is seen as a symbol of good fortune, often enjoyed in photos and paintings.
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Suehiro is another name for the fan, and a famous song is performed in Kyōgen theater called “Suehirogari.” These are just some of the stories that express the special relationship between the fan and the Japanese.
The exhibition offers many perceptions of the fan: the fan itself, byobu folding screens and fusuma sliding panels adorned with fan illustrations, paintings of dancers waving fans, and pottery and lacquerware shaped like a fan. The exhibition concludes by showing how the historical island Dejima in Nagasaki also resembled the fan.
Dejima was the single place in Japan where exchange and trade were allowed with China and the Netherlands for over 200 years when the Sakoku (closed country) era began in the 1630s.
This enlightening exhibition about the quintessentially Japanese cultural icon is open now until January 20.
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Clickhere for dates, hours and fees for entry to the exhibition.
Clickhere for the outline andhere for an overview of the exhibition in English.
Clickhere for a list of the treasures in the exhibition in English.
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