Fan of the Month October 2026

Shibayama Ivory Brisé Fan, c.1880, by Stephanie Worrell

This elegant Ivory Brisé Fan with applications of Shibayama, dated around 1880, was gifted to The Fan Museum in 2006 by D.L Wells.

The fan is decorated on both sides with a mirror image of a peacock beneath a blossoming tree, surrounded by birds and foliage. To the left, the initials F.H. are interlaced, believed to belong to Fanny Hannen (1872-1904), who was a cousin of the donor and was born in Shanghai. A silver loop is furnished with double pearl silk tassels bound by an ivory ogimé embellished with gold flowers. The design is executed in gold using the Japanese lacquer techniques hiramakie and takamakie. These techniques involved applying many layers of lacquer, traditionally made from the sap of the rhus verniciflua tree, before decorating the hardened surface with fine gold powders. This process was highly skilled and time-consuming.

During the Meiji period (1869-1912), changing economic conditions reduced demand for lacquerware among traditional patrons, encouraging craftsmen to produce works for the export market. Ivory fans offered a small manageable surface for elaborate decoration and became particularly appealing to European and American tastes.

The peacock held important and cultural meaning in Japan. Its association with Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, reflects the Buddhist belief that the peacock’s ability to consume poisonous plants symbolised the transformation of negativity through compassion.

The fan’s guard is decorated with speckles of orange coral and mother of pearl, qualities of the shibayama inlay. The technique was created by Ōnoki Senzō, who lived during the An’ei era (1772-1781), and worked in his hometown of Shibayama. The Senzō family renamed themselves Shibayama and became renowned for intricate inlay using materials such as ivory, coral, tortoiseshell, bone and shell, often carved in relief. Originally used to decorate inrō, the technique was later adapted by craftsmen making objects for the growing European export market.

Exhibited at The Fan Museum, Greenwich, ‘Top Fans: Highlights of The Fan Museum Collection’, (28 November 2006 – 28 February 2007) and The Fan Museum, Brisé, (28 September – 17 December 2022).