Winning Fan Design Auction - In aid of the Tohoku Earthquake Relief Fund

Limited Edition prize-winning Japanese paper folding fans, designed for competition and executed by master craftsman Ishizumi & Co. in Kyoto, Japan.

The Brunei Gallery, SOAS in London recently ran a fan design competition to accompany the exhibition 'Traditions Revised' Japanese Fans from the Ishizumi Family Collection (13 January – 24 March 2012) intended to raise money for the Japan Society’s Tohoku Earthquake Relief Fund. 

For the three winning designs, one copy was made for the contestant, one copy of each was placed in the gallery's permanent collection, currently on display in the Foyle Gallery of the Brunei Gallery, SOAS, and the final edition is being auctioned here to raise further funds for charity. This listing refers to the 1st placed fan by Valentina Bottari. Please see our other listings for 2nd and 3rd place designs.

The Ishizumi family has been making hand-crafted fans in Kyoto since 1881. Patronized by Japanese and British Royalty alike, their work is at the pinnacle of the industry and steeped in over a century of tradition. In 2001, an Ishizumi fan from the Meiji-era was gifted to the British Museum, where it remains on display to this day. 

To see details of other work by this specialist please visit ishizumifan.com, similar contemporary fans produced in larger numbers by the Ishizumi family sell for up to $800 individually. All three competition fans on sale here start with a reserve of just £50.

All proceeds from the sale of these fans will go toward the Japan Society’s Tohoku Earthquake Relief Fund. Please visit japansociety.org.uk/earthquake for more projects supported in post-earthquake & tsunami Japan. An opportunity to support both Japan's artistic industry and post-disaster reconstruction. Happy bidding! Fans can be shipped worldwide. Please see eBay listing pages for further details.