We cordially invite you to join us on Friday, Feb 14, at 4:45-6:45pm CT, CWAC 152 for the third VMPEA workshop this winter. The workshop features:
Xuemiao Wang
Visiting PhD Student, Art History, UChicago | PhD Candidate, Zhejiang University
Who will be presenting the paper titled:
“Fans in the Tombs: Echoes of Elegance and Ritual from Ming Dynasty Folding Fans”
This workshop will take place in-person only, and the Q&A session will be conducted in both Chinese and English. Please see the abstract and bios for this workshop below.
Geometric-patterned gold-sprinkled bamboo folding fan with gold paper, unearthed from the tomb of Zhu Shoucheng
Abstract:
The phenomenon of folding fans unearthed from Ming Dynasty tombs is particularly notable in 27 burial sites and 89 folding fans concentrated in the Jiangnan region. These burial items were especially prevalent during the mid-to-late Ming period, reflecting the cultural trends and funerary practices of the time. Findings indicate that painted fans and plain white paper fans were widely used as burial items in Jiangnan tombs, a practice that first appeared among commoners before gold-decorated fans were incorporated into the aristocratic “burial clothing (lianyi 殓衣)” system. The evolution of folding fans from luxury goods to significant burial objects showcases the Ming fascination with material culture. Gender and social disparities in the distribution of burial fans are evident, with female tombs often containing more exquisite examples. Understanding the phenomenon of Ming Dynasty burial fans requires attention not only to the literati’s aesthetic preferences and the “burial clothing” customs but also to the material characteristics of Ming tombs. Folding fans were not only included as functional items but were accompanied by a variety of other personal possessions and cultural commodities, the number and diversity of which far exceeded those of earlier periods. The Ming obsession with material possessions is vividly reflected in the transformation of burial objects. Jiangnan tombs had unique historical conditions that favored the inclusion of burial items. When viewed in this context, the burial of gold fans in Ming tombs ceases to appear as an isolated or exceptional phenomenon. Instead, it becomes an integral part of the distinctive commercial and funerary culture of the Ming Dynasty.
Bio:
Xuemiao Wang 王雪苗 is a PhD candidate in the Department of Art History at Zhejiang University and a visiting scholar at the Center for the Art of East Asia at the University of Chicago for the current academic year. Her research focuses on Chinese funerary paintings from the 6th to 13th centuries, with a particular emphasis on tomb screen imagery. Her dissertation examines the primary characteristics and formal transformations of tomb screens during this period, using these changes to explore broader shifts in funerary culture between the Tang and Song Dynasties. In addition to her work on tomb screens, she is also interested in other forms of funerary art, including hanging scrolls found in burial contexts. Her current article on folding fans unearthed from Ming Dynasty tombs investigates the sudden incorporation of cultural commodities into funerary traditions, reflecting broader intersections of material culture and burial practices.