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Embroidered Fan for Wedding Ceremony — Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)

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Written by: Seda AslanResearcher · Old Master Paintings
Korean Art · Catalogue no. 21025
Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)

Embroidered Fan for Wedding Ceremony

StatusReference work · Not for sale
Held byCleveland Museum of Art
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In the Joseon period, women between the ages of 14 and 20 were matched with a husband through an arranged marriage. Even during the marriage ceremony, a bride was supposed to veil her face with this type of embroidered fan as a gesture of chastity. The fan’s body is made of paper and silk trimmed with a gilded metal rim. On the front, four cranes—one pair in blue, the other in yellow—are stitched along with auspicious clouds. The back is adorned with cranes flying amid clouds and blossoms of peonies.

Artist / MakerKorea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
Date1850–1918
Culture / OriginKorea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
MediumCircular fan; copper alloy, silk, metal thread, and paper
DimensionsDiameter: 29.9 cm (11 3/4 in.)
DepartmentKorean Art
TypeMiscellaneous
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Provenance & Source

Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.

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