Preliminary identification
Photo reference
3 uploaded photos
Overview
A traditional non-folding Japanese uchiwa fan featuring a delicate botanical illustration of Fushiguro-senno (Silene miqueliana). The fan is crafted with a split bamboo frame and features the mark of Harimaya Honten, a prestigious Japanese confectionery house known for commissioning high-quality seasonal art.
Story
Harimaya Honten, a famous rice cracker maker, began gifting these elegant fans to patrons to celebrate the cooling summer breeze. This specific fan depicts the rare 'Fushiguro-senno' wildflower, a symbol of fleeting mountain beauty.
Maker / Origin
Harimaya Honten is a historic Japanese company that elevated the 'free gift' to an art form, often collaborating with traditional craftsmen. Their uchiwa are highly collected in Japan for their superior bamboo work and refined, understated aesthetic that reflects the 'wabi-sabi' philosophy.
Condition & Value
The fan appears to be in excellent vintage condition with no visible foxing or tears to the paper. The bamboo ribs are intact and the handle shows no cracking. Excellent condition for paper ephemera. While originally promotional, high-quality Harimaya fans are traded by collectors of Japanese ephemera.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.