Private fans collection of Evgeniya Doremidova
Saint-Petersburg

Fan “Trompe l`oeil, collage”

The leaf shows a collage of different pictures. In the center, against a landscape, a gentleman is passionately telling a lady something. On the right is a landscape with an ancient ruin and bellow is a still life with fruit and flowers in a vase. On the left is an image of Cupid chopping a tree,  a dog on the background of a landscape and in a circle – a still life with fruit and flowers. All these images are symbolic, but some meanings are not quite clear. Cupid chopping a tree is a symbol of the result achieved by great labor, a dog is a symbol of fidelity, images of fruits and flowers are symbols of wealth and prosperity, a landscape with a ruin is a promise of a journey. Adding up all the meanings, we get the story that the fan was made for the wedding. It took the groom a long time to earn his favor, but promises of happy and rich life and vows of loyality won the bride`s heart. The reverse side depicts a seascape and still lifes of fruit and flowers. On the frame in the center reads the image of butterfly, to the right and left of it are scenes from Chinese life.