Object size: 19.2 x 31.6 cm
Painted in wet wash technique also called ‘boneless’ style (mogu) without ink outlines, the vibrant Wintersweet yellow flowers and Sacred Bamboo red berries are contrasted with sharp, slender tip strokes in dark ink. The colour conveys exuberance while execution is in a subdued manner. The colophon in running script marked the fifth month of Yiwei year (1955), was signed off by Lu Zishu卢子枢 (1900–1978) who also painted the plants.The fan belonged to Wong Ming Pak who had a deep appreciation for Chinese calligraphy. He met some visiting Chinese luminaries who left him autographed fans.A sign of scholarly, learned disposition, the folding fan was a classic men’s fashion accessory in the gentry circle such that men were only considered properly dressed when seen with one. They were often personalised with paintings, poetry and calligraphy and exchanged as gifts among the literati as tokens of friendship.
