Object Record
| Object Name | Fan |
| Date | 1877-1890 |
| Description |
Folding fan. Paper leaf has a hand-colored print of a landscape with buildings at right and soldiers in the center. Inscription printed upper left: "THE BATTLE NEAR / THE CITADEL OF/ KUMAMOTO"; inscription printed in center: "SAIGO". Reverse side has hand-painted pink and blue flowers with green leaves, and three colorful birds. Lacquered bamboo sticks. Riveted at bottom. Made in Japan. (Keywords: Fashion, Accessory, Asian, Souvenir, Commemorative, Floral) |
| Acquisition | Gift of Mrs. Eleanor Wightman |
| Ownership and History | Kumamoto is a province in the southwest portion of Japan. The print on the fan leaf portrays the burning of Kumamoto Castle during the battle of Seinan in 1877. The heroic figure on horseback represents Saigo Takamori (1828-1877), the warrior who is often considered "the last samurai." This fan appears to be a souvenir of the period; its inscription shows that it was made for an English-speaking market. |
| Earliest Date | 1877 |
| Latest Date | 1890 |
| Material | Paper/Bamboo |
| Subjects |
Samurai Fans |
| Lexicon Sub-category | Personal Gear |
| Catalog Number | C02.0930 |
| Support Acknowledgment | Online Collections Database record made possible by the Fan Association of North America (FANA), 2011. (www.fanassociation.org) |
| Legal Status | Images and text in this database are copyrighted by the Staten Island Historical Society unless otherwise noted. Items represented here are from the collections of the Staten Island Historical Society. Materials reproduced for personal non-commercial use must credit the Staten Island Historical Society. Commercial licensing is available. |