An unusual 19th century/early 20th century Chinese fan, Qing...

Hammer

£160

An unusual 19th century/early 20th century Chinese fan, Qing Dynasty, the double paper leaf mounted on basic wood, showing a battle scene in front of a waterfront palace, the building ablaze, citizens arriving by boats, armed with swords, leaping onto the jetty to challenge an Elder wearing blue robes, escorted by guards. Writing on the upper guard, quite indistinct, perhaps describes the scene and gives the date of 1870. History related that British troops had burnt the summer palace Yuanmingyuan in Peking and that this was rebuilt in the 1870’s by the Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi only for it to be damaged again by an uprising in 1900, known as the Boxer rebellion, finally to be rebuilt in the 1950’s

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Used, one central fold splitting, older repairs evident from the verso.