1980s Japanese Folding Fan, Blue Iris & Gold, Hand-Painted

Irises painted across a blue and gold ground, black lacquer ribs that close to a slim baton; a fan that behaves like a small landscape you can fold into your bag or admire as decor. Found in a boutique vintage collection in Tokyo.

A hand-painted Japanese folding fan (sensu) in the classic floral idiom; irises have long signified elegance and early summer in Japanese art. This style of gold-ground, black-rib fan with a hand-painted floral scene is typical of a decorative or dance fan (mai-ōgi) rather than a plain everyday hand fan; the kind used in classical Japanese dance, display, or as a fine gift item

Era: 1980s.

Dimensions: about 20” x 11.25” open.

Carrying the soft patina that only time can give; significant flaws are always detailed above.