![](https://eportfolios.capilanou.ca/claricemah/wp-content/uploads/sites/11635/2020/11/ClariceMahHistoricalArtifact-1-1024x512.jpg)
For the historical artifact assignment, I chose to research and create the Chinese folding fan. I chose this artifact because, coming from a Chinese background, I grew up loving Chinese fans. My grandma has a collection of them that I would play with whenever I visited her.
This was a really fun project for me as I love recreating things and being crafty. This assignment is well structured, which helped me to visualize everything I needed to do process-wise from beginning to end.
![](http://www.comuseum.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/ren-bonian_peach-blossom-and-bird.jpg)
https://www.comuseum.com/culture/fans/#Chinese%20Fans
I chose to recreate this fan. I love the graceful painting of the bird and the flowers, which is what made me excited to work on it.
To create this fan, I used coffee stirring sticks, glue, tape, newsprint paper, brown kraft paper, graphite, black marker, and watercolour pencil. I put the sticks together with hot glue (this prop is not actually functional), and then pleated and painted on the paper before attaching it to the sticks.
![](https://eportfolios.capilanou.ca/claricemah/wp-content/uploads/sites/11635/2020/11/ClariceMahartifactedited-1024x1024.jpg)
I wanted my in-situe photograph to express Chinese elegance. I set up this photo on a red draped backdrop as it is a popular Chinese colour. I displayed the fan at an angle to reflect the way a fan would usually be held, and it is next to a plant pot with leaves that echo those illustrated on the fan.
![Chinese Calligraphy | Asia Society](https://eportfolios.capilanou.ca/claricemah/wp-content/uploads/sites/11635/2020/11/image-1-edited.jpeg)
![Chinese Calligraphy | Essay | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History](https://eportfolios.capilanou.ca/claricemah/wp-content/uploads/sites/11635/2020/11/image-3-edited.jpeg)
Chinese Calligraphy examples
The style of these Chinese calligraphy examples inspired my paragraph description. I took a piece of newsprint paper and crumpled it to appear older, and I used watercolour pencil to illustrate the red stamps. Then I wrote my paragraph in black marker.
Self Evaluation
I give myself a 9/10. I don’t give myself full points because I did not have good time management working on this- I started on week 2 of the given two weeks. However, I still followed all the steps in the brief: I completed meaningful research, created a good quality artifact and photograph that considered the period of the artifact, and delivered a cohesive and complementary spread.
Sources
Chattyfeet, et al. “Get a Handy Look at the History of Traditional Chinese Folding Fans.” My Modern Met, 19 June 2020, mymodernmet.com/chinese-folding-fans-history/.
“Chinese Fans.” The Fan Circle International, www.fancircleinternational.org/history/chinese-fans/.
“Chinese Fans.” China Online Museum, 11 Dec. 2016, www.comuseum.com/culture/fans/#Chinese Fans.