A fan consisting of two layers of black silk fabric, painted and embroidered, on one side only, with rose blossoms, buds and leaves. The three largest flowers and one of the buds are embroidered in satin stitch with silks of subtly varying hues in reds, yellows and pinks. The stitches laid in groups at various angles, many stitches interlocking both within their own group and with those in the adjacent group. The rest of the flowers and buds are painted, as are the leaves. Part of the painted design extends into the slats below. The slats are of a black hardwood, connected at the base by a metal ring. The ring may not be original.
This item was given as part of a collection of six Chinese costumes, two robes, two hats, a pair of shoes and a fan, which were donated by Ms Audrie Manley-Tucker. The objects originally belonged to her uncle, Mr. F. C. Vicary, who purchased them from Herbert J Collings,1883-1958, a fellow member of the British Magical Society, a magician whose stage name was Col Ling Soo. Collings performed a Chinese-style act in the manner of the American vaudeville conjuror Chung Ling Soo. Collings may have worn some of these costumes when performing.
