Silk fan cover embroidered on the dark blue side with lotus flowers symbolizing ‘Purity’. The green side shows cymbidium flowers which symbolize ‘Friendship’ and ‘Grandsons’. A butterfly (Happy Marriage) and a dragonfly (Pure and Celebration) complement the auspicious meanings. The tassels are shaped like firecrackers which are a pun for ‘year after year’ because they break into small fragments when they explode. Fire crackers are also believed to scare off evil. The fan cover dates from the end of the Qing period (1644 – 1912) or early Republic (1912 – 1947). Length without tassels 24.5 cm. Width 6.1 cm.