Auction 164 Antiques & Works of Art, Silver & Jewellery

424

A Chinese export fan with mythological scene


Estimate

1.000 - 1.500


Session 2

27 October 2026


Description

Paper leaf painted in gouache and gilt, the obverse depicting Aurora preceding the chariot of Apollo, accompanied by the Hours, after the composition by Guido Reni, within a border of floral scrolls on a blue ground

The reverse decorated on a gilt ground with an exotic bird perched on a rock amongst flowering peony branches, within a border of floral scrolls on a red ground

Black lacquered wood sticks and guards, gilt-decorated with geometric patterns, flowers and stylised leaves

Together with an associated lacquered wood case of the period

China, Canton, first half of the 19th century

(leaf with small tears and minor defects)

Length: 57 cm (aberto)

Length: 32 cm (fechado)


Additional Information

The composition depicted on the obverse derives from Guido Reni’s celebrated fresco Aurora, painted in 1613-1614 for the Casino dell’Aurora at the Palazzo Pallavicini Rospigliosi in Rome. Widely disseminated through engravings, the composition became a popular model for fan decoration. Its use on the present example reflects the production of Canton for the European market, where Chinese workshops frequently adapted Western models and motifs to local decorative techniques and conventions.



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