A portable piece of art

It's fair to say that a beautiful set of fan ribs takes the work of both man and nature. While the monochromatic "jade bamboo" (also known as mao zhu or tortoiseshell bamboo) exudes an understated elegance, other types favored by fan-makers feature naturally formed patterns that have been compared, among other things, to spots carried by sika deer, a species native to East Asia.

"In Chinese, we call the deer meihua lu, or 'the plum-blossom deer', and the bamboo 'plum-deer bamboo'," says Xu, pointing out that the unique pattern has formed on the plant as a result of microorganism infection.

For those in the know, the plum tree, which typically goes into bloom during winter, is one of "the four noble plants" in Chinese culture — the other three being the bamboo, the chrysanthemum and the orchid. A standard subject for literati painters — those with a high level of education — from ancient China, all four make frequent appearances on the fan surface both then and now.