Late-Qing Painting & Calligraphy Folding Fan with Gold-coated Panel Back

This folding fan used for its panel a kind of paper coated with a golden pigment made of gold powder and glue. Called “mud gold” literally, such a type of panels is usually in three shades of golden, “standard golden”, namely, the original color of gold; “Buddhist golden”, a slightly darker golden due to the inclusion of copper in the pigment; and “field golden”, a pale golden as a result of the 20% of sterling silver in the mixture. The “mud gold” texture of the panel, while giving a sense of splendor and sumptuousness to the fan, makes it harder to absorb or attach ink and pigment.