Fans were some of the most highly desired individual objects of the China trade. Fans started to become part of the trade industry for the Western market before the 1730’s. This fan and the box that it came in was owned by the families of Captains Leroy Dow and Oscar Eaton. This particular fan was made out of ivory sticks. This fan is delicately painted in floral embellishments of red and green, outlined with gold paint. Chinese fans may look fragile, but some have survived for centuries.
Credit: Maggie Knudsen