Waaier c. 1866 - 1878

This image shows a fan rendered with ink and color on paper, created by Shibata Zeshin. The composition is immediately striking. A fan, slightly opened, dominates the visual space with its zig-zagged edge and the delicate calligraphy adorning its surface. The fan’s structure, with its radiating lines, suggests a deliberate attempt to play with perspective and depth. The limited palette focuses our attention on form. The artist has created the fan with soft greys that contrast the rigid geometry of the fan’s edge. Zeshin's engagement with the fan form transcends mere representation. It’s about disrupting conventional ways of seeing, prompting a dialogue between surface and depth, text and image. It questions fixed meanings and invites ongoing interpretation.