The Art of a Gentle Breeze

A Special Exhibition of Painting and Calligraphy on Folding Fans

"Ode on Attaining the Isles of Immortality" from the Imperial Brush & Palatial Buildings in the Manner of Qiu Ying (AD 1644-AD 1911) by Qianlong Emperor; Yang DazhangNational Palace Museum

Introduction

Folding fans became quite fashionable in the Ming and Qing dynasties, representing a development on round silk fans previously popular in the Song and Yuan dynasties. The folding fan actually originated in Japan, and though a few were imported into China during the Song and Yuan period, this format did not become very common at the time. However, in the early Ming dynasty, during the Hongwu reign, envoys from Japan brought folding fans as tribute, which Emperor Taizu (Zhu Yuanzhang, 1328-1398) presented to high officials. Zhu Di (1360-1424), the third Ming emperor who ruled under the reign name Yongle, also became fond of folding fans for their convenience and ordered craftsmen to imitate them. During the Duanwu (Dragon Boat) Festival, court officials would receive fans written with maxims by renowned Hanlin Academicians, their use as if bestowing cultural airs. Then, under Emperor Xuanzong (Zhu Zhanji, 1399-1435), not only did the palace tradition of presenting folding fans continue, they were also adorned with painting and calligraphy personally done by the emperor. In the Ming dynasty, the custom of officials using and writing on folding fans thus became increasingly common after the palace held activities for giving them to members at court.      

Seven-Character Regulated Verse (AD 1368-AD 1644) by Wen Zhengming (1470-1559)National Palace Museum

Folding fans with painting and calligraphy presented as gifts also became a trend among such Wu School and other famous literati in the art world as Shen Zhou (1427-1509), Zhu Yunming (1461-1527), Wen Zhengming (1470-1559), and Tang Yin (1470-1524), whose masterpieces in this format still survive. Many professional artists also adapted their skills to folding fans to create marvelous works.     

Illustration and Transcription of the Latter Ode on the Red Cliff (AD 1368-AD 1644) by Ding Yunpeng (1547-after 1628) and Jiang ZhenjiNational Palace Museum

The folding fan, with its elegantly arched surface wider at the top than at the bottom, is a unique format that gradually caught the attention of Ming dynasty painters and calligraphers, who used it as a vehicle for artistic expression. 

Seven-Character Regulated Verse in Running Script (AD 1644-AD 1911) by Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722)National Palace Museum

Starting with the Qing dynasty Kangxi emperor (Aisin Gioro Xuanye, 1654-1722) and his fondness for calligraphy, folding fans with imperial writing became an elegant gift for court officials. During the reign of Gaozong, the Qianlong emperor (Aisin Gioro Hongli, 1711-1799), the emperor and his officials did painting and calligraphy on folding fans and also made an effort to organize the court collection of folding fans, which were sent to workshops in Suzhou for repairs and even to be remounted.    

Two Passages from Han Dynasty Steles in Clerical Script by Zhao Yunhe (1874-1955)National Palace Museum

During the Qing dynasty, the folding fan was a cultural art form appreciated by the elite and commoners alike. The depiction of auspicious subjects also was enjoyed in this format, and with the rise of the Stele School of calligraphy, phrases from stele inscriptions written on folding fans breathed new life into this art form.

Lady and a Butterfly (AD 1368-AD 1644) by Chen Hongshou (1599-1652)National Palace Museum

This exhibition presents a selection from the National Palace Museum collection of some of its finest art on folding fans, which are considerable in both quantity and quality. This exhibit is divided into five sections: “Folding Fans at the Imperial Court,” “Exchanging Elegant Gifts of the Brush,” “Treasures of the Sleeve Pleasing to the Eye,” “Folding Fans by Rulers and Officials,” and “Enjoyed by Elite and Commoner Alike”, reflecting the development of this elegant art form in China. 

Bird-and-Flower Painting from the Imperial Brush (AD 1368-AD 1644) by Xuanzong (1399-1435)National Palace Museum

Folding Fans at the Imperial Court

In the early Ming dynasty under the Hongwu reign, envoys from Japan brought Japanese folding fans to the court as tribute items, which Emperor Taizu (Zhu Yuanzhang, 1328-1398) presented as gifts to his officials. The following ruler, Chengzu (Zhu Di, 1360-1424), was fond of folding fans for their convenience and ordered court craftsmen to imitate Japanese ones. During the Duanwu (Dragon Boat) Festival, court officials would receive fans written with maxims by renowned Hanlin Academicians, their use as if bestowing cultural airs. Under Emperor Xuanzong (Zhu Zhanji, 1399-1435), not only did the palace tradition of presenting folding fans continue, they were also adorned with painting and calligraphy by the emperor. “Bird-and-Flower Painting from the Imperial Brush” is a precious example of a folding fan from the early Ming dynasty court.      

Bird-and-Flower Painting from the Imperial Brush (AD 1368-AD 1644) by Xuanzong (1399-1435)National Palace Museum

Bird-and-Flower Painting from the Imperial Brush

Emperor Xuanzong (1399-1435), Ming dynasty 
Folding fan, ink and colors on gold-painted paper, 18.5 x 44.8 cm

In the early Ming dynasty, during the Hongwu reign (1368-1398), envoys from Japan brought tribute items to the Chinese court, including folding fans, which the first Ming ruler, Taizu, presented as gifts to officials. In the Yongle reign, Emperor Chengzu (1360-1424) appreciated folding fans for their convenience and ordered craftsmen at his court to imitate them.     

Then in the Xuande reign under Emperor Xuanzong, folding fans were presented on the Duanwu (Dragon Boat) Festival to officials, marking the arrival of summer and symbolizing the dissemination of courtly airs throughout the land.  

This folding fan on a bird-and-flower subject from the brush of the emperor depicts two birds among camellia blossoms on gold-painted paper. The manner of painting follows in the Southern Song (1127-1279) academic style with bright and classical colors. Along with a two-sided fan painting of "Landscape and Figures" by Emperor Xuanzong in the Beijing Palace Museum, this is a rare and precious example of early Ming imperial painting in the folding fan format.

Seven-Character Regulated Verse (AD 1368-AD 1644) by Wen Zhengming (1470-1559)National Palace Museum

Exchanging Elegant Gifts of the Brush

In the Ming dynasty, the custom of officials using and writing on folding fans became increasingly common after the palace held activities for giving them to members at court. The folding fan, with its elegantly arched surface wider at the top than at the bottom, is a unique format that caught the attention of Ming painters and calligraphers, who used it as a vehicle for artistic expression. Folding fans with painting and calligraphy presented as gifts also became a trend among such Wu School and other famous literati in the art world as Shen Zhou (1427-1509), Zhu Yunming (1461-1527), Wen Zhengming (1470-1559), and Tang Yin (1470-1524), whose masterpieces in this format still survive.      

Seven-Character Regulated Verse (AD 1368-AD 1644) by Wen Zhengming (1470-1559)National Palace Museum

Seven-Character Regulated Verse

Wen Zhengming (1470-1559), Ming dynasty
Folding fan, ink on paper, 16.3 x 44.2 cm

Wen Zhengming, a native of Suzhou in Jiangsu, originally was named Bi. He took the style name Zhengming after the age of 42 and changed his style name to Zhengzhong; he also had the self-styled sobriquet Hengshan jushi.    

This is a transcription of Wen’s seven-character regulated verse on “Waiting for the Moon at Jinshan Temple.” It reads, “The cool of jade emerges from Floating Jade Mountain, a listless moon is alight above the evening tide. An eerie glow hovers deep in the fish-dragon night, the trees wave in clouds of void to a hazy mist. In water-filled country I inscribe a poem for a night’s stay, and I am offered a taste of new tea from Zhongling Spring. I cannot sleep after drinking wine in the river breeze, so I rise and walk the corridors of shady pines.”   

Wen enjoyed the scenery while drinking tea and wine, presenting a poem as a gift to his friend for letting him stay the night. The characters in the calligraphy here are elongated and the line spacing tight, the brushwork strong and untrammeled. The recipient, “Yuhua,” remains unknown, but the fan evidently was a gift in response to or exchange with Wen.  

Traveling Through Autumn Mountains (AD 1368-AD 1644) by Tang Yin (1470-1524)National Palace Museum

Traveling Through Autumn Mountains

Tang Yin (1470-1524), Ming dynasty
Folding fan, ink and colors on paper, 16.9 x 42.4 cm

Tang Yin (style names Bohu, Ziwei; sobriquet Liuru jushi), a native of Suzhou in Jiangsu, came in first place in the Nanjing Prefectural Examination in 1498. He studied under the professional painter Zhou Chen (ca. 1450-1535), becoming gifted at many subjects, including landscapes, figures, and bird-and-flower themes; he was one of the Four Ming Masters. Tang Yin and Zhou Chen both excelled at the Southern Song academic style of painting.

This folding fan shows a scholar standing near a bridge that spans a stream in a scene of autumn. Tang Yin was not only skilled in arranging the composition in the folding fan format with its broad top and narrow bottom, he also used a dense landscape style here to express a strong atmosphere of desolation in autumn.  

Touches of rouge, yellow, and light blue color adorn the autumn trees, enhancing the elegant beauty of the gold-painted paper. 
 

The openwork carving of the fan handle is also exceptional.
 

Illustration and Transcription of the Former Ode on the Red Cliff (AD 1368-AD 1644) by Ding Yunpeng (1547-after 1628) and Jiang ZhenjiNational Palace Museum

Treasures of the Sleeve Pleasing to the Eye

Different kinds of paper were used to make folding fans, including gold-painted paper, gold-flecked paper, plain paper, and colored paper. The supporting ribs could be made from bamboo, wood, ivory, or lacquer as well. Despite the small size of folding fans, professional artists adapted their skills to make marvelous works combining different kinds of ribs and paper bearing both plain and ornate beauty. Such late Ming professional painters as Ding Yunpeng (1547-after 1628), Wu Bin (fl. ca. 1573-1620), and Chen Hongshou (1599-1652) fused this format with their personal forms of expression, creating folding fans of consummate skill.        

Illustration and Transcription of the Former Ode on the Red Cliff (AD 1368-AD 1644) by Ding Yunpeng (1547-after 1628) and Jiang ZhenjiNational Palace Museum

Illustration of the Former Ode on the Red Cliff

Ding Yunpeng (1547-after 1628) and Jiang Zhenji, Ming dynasty
Folding fan, ink on paper, 22 x 58.6 cm

Ding Yunpeng (style name Nanyu, sobriquet Shenghua jushi), a native of Xiuning in Anhui, excelled at painting Buddhist and Taoist subjects, his “baimiao” fine-line style similar to that of Li Gonglin (1049-1106). His landscape and other subjects were equally marvelous, making him a master of the late Ming dynasty.    

This painting is on the subject of Su Shi’s “Former Ode on the Red Cliff” and depicts Su and his guests boating to the Red Cliff. A gentle breeze arises to create ripples on the water as the host toasts his guests in the painting. The arrangement of solid and void in the composition is skillful, the use of brush and ink also beautifully delicate and precise.    

The work is unsigned but has two seals with the characters for “Nan” and “yu,” referring to Ding’s style name. Judging from Ding’s inscription on his folding fan illustrating the accompanying “Latter Ode on the Red Cliff,” this work was probably done in 1589.    

In the blank space above the distant mountains here, Jiang Zhenji transcribed the entire “Former Ode on the Red Cliff” in “gnat’s-head” small regular script, which is dated to the equivalent of 1594.    

Illustration and Transcription of the Latter Ode on the Red Cliff (AD 1368-AD 1644) by Ding Yunpeng (1547-after 1628) and Jiang ZhenjiNational Palace Museum

Illustration of the Latter Ode on the Red Cliff

Ding Yunpeng (1547-after 1628) and Jiang Zhenji, Ming dynasty
Folding fan, ink on paper, 22 x 58.6 cm

This folding fan is the same size as “Illustration and Transcription of the Former Ode on the Red Cliff,” the handle and ribs of both also made from mottled bamboo. The fan here is on the “Latter Ode on the Red Cliff,” indicating that the two were probably designed and made as an exquisite pair.      

This painting shows Su Shi once again bringing wine on a trip to the Red Cliff. In “Latter Ode on the Red Cliff,” however, Su describes how he lifts his robes to climb up the rocks and cry out to the vast expanse below, later returning to his boat and letting it drift on the water, a solitary crane flying from the east over the water in the middle of the night.    

The original text has a chronological order, but Ding Yunpeng here adapted the contents to the arched surface of the folding fan by combining the two scenes into one, demonstrating his considerable skills while reflecting the familiarity among viewers at the time with the subject of the Red Cliff.

Lady and a Butterfly (AD 1368-AD 1644) by Chen Hongshou (1599-1652)National Palace Museum

Lady and a Butterfly

Chen Hongshou (1599-1652), Ming dynasty
Folding fan, ink on paper, 16.3 x 48.3 cm

Chen Hongshou (style name Zhanghou, sobriquet Laolian), a native of Zhuji in Zhejiang, took the sobriquets Huichi (“Late Regrets”), Wuchi (“Not Late”), and Yunmenseng (“Monk of the Cloudy Mountains”) after the fall of the Ming dynasty.      

This folding fan painting shows a lady with butterflies. The lines are strong and solid, revealing Chen Hongshou’s late style. The form of the lady is archaic and elegant with a unique spirit harmony, the pose also having a manner associated with dramatic performances. The background is completely blank, creating for a dramatic contrast between solid and void.      

Furthermore, the lady is shown holding a round fan, creating for an interesting “fan-in-a-fan” subject.    

Imperial Copy of Mi Fu’s ‘Chenlan Modelbook’ (AD 1368-AD 1644) by Qianlong EmperorNational Palace Museum

The other side of the folding fan is adorned with calligraphy for “Imperial Copy of Mi Fu’s ‘Chenlan Modelbook’” by the Qianlong emperor (1711-1799) of the Qing dynasty.    

"Ode on Attaining the Isles of Immortality" from the Imperial Brush & Palatial Buildings in the Manner of Qiu Ying (AD 1644-AD 1911) by Qianlong Emperor; Yang DazhangNational Palace Museum

Folding Fans by Rulers and Officials

Starting with the Qing dynasty Kangxi emperor (Aisin Gioro Xuanye, 1654-1722) and his fondness for calligraphy, folding fans with imperial writing became an elegant gift for court officials. During the reign of Gaozong, the Qianlong emperor (Aisin Gioro Hongli, 1711-1799), the ruler and his officials did many works of painting and calligraphy on folding fans. At the same time, an effort was made to organize the court collection of folding fans, and no effort was spared to repair and remount them.    

Seven-Character Regulated Verse in Running Script (AD 1644-AD 1911) by Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722)National Palace Museum

Seven-Character Truncated Verse in Running Script

Kangxi emperor (1654-1722), Qing dynasty
Folding fan mounted as an album leaf, ink on paper, 16.7 x 48 cm

This seven-character truncated verse on plain fan paper is a transcription of Lang Shiyuan’s (?-786) “View of the South at Bolin Temple” from the Tang dynasty. The strokes focus on the twisting brush applied to and lifted from the paper, creating for many variations between light and heavy. The character forms are also slanted with a force that reveals the influence of Dong Qichang’s calligraphy, suggesting this is a late work by the Kangxi emperor.  

Seven-Character Regulated Verse in Running Script (AD 1644-AD 1911) by Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722)National Palace Museum

This poem is recorded in several compilations of the Kangxi reign, including Imperially Endorsed Complete Collection of Tang Poetry, and was a favorite of the Kangxi emperor. According to records from the archives of the imperial workshops, on the 14th day of the sixth month of the first Yongzheng year (July 15, 1723), works of calligraphy by the deceased Kangxi were handed over, including fifteen folding fans of poetry.    

The Yongzheng emperor (Shizong) ordered the fans to be stored in a box with three levels, five in each one, to serve as an offering in a Buddhist altar. This record hints at the method of storing poetry fans by the Kangxi emperor at the Qing court. Mr. Chi Hsing-fu donated this folding fan mounted as an album leaf to the National Palace Museum.  

Palatial Buildings in the Manner of Qiu Ying (AD 1644-AD 1911) by Yang DazhangNational Palace Museum

Palatial Buildings in the Manner of Qiu Ying

Palatial Buildings in the Manner of Qiu Ying
Yang Dazhang (fl. 18th c.), Qing dynasty

"Ode on Attaining the Isles of Immortality" from the Imperial Brush
Qianlong emperor (1711-1799), Qing dynasty
Folding fan, ink (and colors) on paper, 20 x 59.3 cm

Yang Dazhang was a court painter during the Qianlong reign whose works date between 1766 and 1791. He excelled at painting figural and bird-and-flower subjects. 
According to records from the archives of the imperial workshops, Yang Dazhang did a folding fan painting in 1768. 

This folding fan in its original mounting has a painting by Yang in imitation of palatial buildings by the Ming artist Qiu Ying (ca. 1494-1552). The brushwork is fine and the landscape adorned with blue-and-green colors on gold decorative paper, increasing its opulent beauty. 

"Ode on Attaining the Isles of Immortality" from the Imperial Brush (AD 1644-AD 1911) by Qianlong EmperorNational Palace Museum

The other side of the folding fan features an inscription by the Qianlong emperor from 1786, when Yang Dazhang was still alive. The ribs are affixed on top of the calligraphy on the golden paper, highlighting the inlaid floral patterns on the ribs while dividing the lines of characters, the design and production of this fan quite skillfully done.

Herding Geese (AD 1644-AD 1911) by Ren Xun (1835-1893)National Palace Museum

Enjoyed by Elite and Commoner Alike

During the Qing dynasty, the folding fan was a cultural art form appreciated by the elite and commoners alike. The depiction of auspicious subjects was also enjoyed in this format. Through exchange and cooperation between painters and calligraphers, the trend of collectors commissioning folding fan works continued unabated. Moreover, in the field of calligraphy, the rise of the Stele School led to the use of phrases from stele inscriptions on folding fans, breathing new life into this art form.      

Herding Geese (AD 1644-AD 1911) by Ren Xun (1835-1893)National Palace Museum

Herding Geese

Herding Geese
Ren Xun (1835-1893), Qing dynasty

Mantra for the "Golden Elixir of 400 Characters" in Running Script
Wang Zaochi (fl. late 19th c.), Qing dynasty
Folding fan, ink (and colors) on paper, 17.8 x 46 cm

Ren Xun (style name Fuchang), a native of Xiaoshan in Zhejiang, was the younger brother of the famous Shanghai School artist Ren Xiong (1823-1857). In figure painting, Ren Xun studied the methods of his elder brother and created a manner of his own. He was also renowned at the time for his paintings of birds and flowers.

The latter half of Ren Xun's life was spent in Suzhou, and this work is signed, "I write these words for the host, Master Zixian. Done by Fuchang, Ren Xun, in Wumen," referring at the end to another name for Suzhou.    

In the painting, a youth is shown herding geese, the figure rendered with leisurely brushwork while the vegetation is done using strong brushwork. The geese have a dynamic succinctness imparting a strongly rustic quality to the decorative gold-painted paper.     

Mantra for the "Golden Elixir of 400 Characters" in Running Script (AD 1644-AD 1911) by Wang Zaochi (fl. late 19th c.)National Palace Museum

The other side of the fan features a work of calligraphy by Wang Zaochi entitled "Mantra for the 'Golden Elixir of 400 Characters' in Running Script,'" which was done in 1885 and also for "Zixian." Wang Zaochi (style name Zhenzhi), a native of Jiaxing in Zhejiang, was active in the Guangxu reign (1875-1908). He studied medical texts in his youth and was the author of Comprehensive Investigation of Symptoms and Their Causes in ten fascicles.    

Two Passages from Han Dynasty Steles in Clerical Script and Landscape by Zhao Yunhe (1874-1955)National Palace Museum

Two Passages from Han Dynasty Steles in Clerical Script

Zhao Yunhe (1874-1955), Republican period
Folding fan, ink on paper, 17.8 x 42 cm

Zhao Yunhe, also named Qi, had the style name Ziyun and was a native of Suzhou in Jiangsu. A student of Wu Changshi (1844-1927), he learned running script calligraphy as well as flower and landscape painting from him, becoming a disciple with a hoary yet elegant manner of his own.  

Two Passages from Han Dynasty Steles in Clerical Script by Zhao Yunhe (1874-1955)National Palace Museum

This folding fan features a transcription from Han dynasty steles, the brushwork archaic and solid. The inscription in running script recounts the origins of the stele contents, its style bold and straightforward. 

Despite the difference between the stele transcription and running script inscription as well as the sizes of the two, they are arranged well on the surface of the fan. The black handle and ribs complement the rich black ink of the calligraphy, providing an aesthetic brimming with simplicity and richness.   

Two Passages from Han Dynasty Steles in Clerical Script and Landscape by Zhao Yunhe (1874-1955)National Palace Museum

The other side features a landscape by the same artist with bamboo and a thatched building. The calligraphy and painting on both sides were done in 1924 for "Brother Xinsun."

Credits: Story

"The Art of a Gentle Breeze: A Special Exhibition of Painting and Calligraphy on Folding Fans" (July 1, 2016–September 25, 2016) is curated by Wen-mei Hsu, Assistant Curator of the Department of Calligraphy and Painting at the National Palace Museum. © 2020 National Palace Museum

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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