CANTON ENGAGEMENT OR MARRIAGE FAN WITH DOUBLE LEAF IN GOOSE AND PEACOCK FEATHER, PAINTED ON RECTO WITH FLOWERS AND A MEDAILLON REPRESENTING A COUPLE. ON VERSO, FLOWERS. BONE STICKS. ON A GUARD STICK GLOSSES IN ANTIQUE CHINESE. MORE EXACTLY CALLED "NU SHU", A SECRET SYSTEM UTILIZED BY WOMEN OF JIANGYONG COUNTY, IN HUNAN, A CHINA'S SOUTHERN PROVINCE. THE NU SHU WAS INVENTED AS A REACTION TO THE PROHIBITION FOR WOMEN TO LEARN THE "NAN SHU", THE MEN WRITING. WOMEN LEARNED THIS CODE FROM THEIR MOTHER OR GODMOTHER. IDEOGRAMS AND WORDS WERE DISGUISED AS DECORATIVE SKETCHES OR AS A PART OF A PICTURE. THIS LANGUAGE WAS SUPPRESSED DURING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION IN THE THIRTIES. ORIGINAL TASSEL, SHAPED BRASS RING. ABOUT 1840/90. CM 50 x 30