Calligraphy: Fragrance of flowers, painted by Ma Chao

The artist has included his signature, “painted by Ma Chao” (马超画), and a red artist’s seal on the painted fan, similar to how artists would sign real folding fans. “Ma” was a common family name among Chinese Muslims—perhaps this artist also belonged to that community.

The top inscription says 花香 (hua xiang) which translates to “the fragrance of flowers”. This image invites the viewer to imagine a particular scent, giving the folding fan a multi-sensory character. The plum blossoms on this fan could be the source of this floral fragrance. But it is worth noting that the Kaaba itself was (and continues to be today) a famously fragrant site. The Ottoman state regularly perfumed the Kaaba with oudh, amber, and rosewater to emphasize its special sacred status as the house of God.

The “fragrance of flowers” inscription could also, therefore, refer to the rosewater perfume of the Masjid al-Haram. Through this multi-sensory inscription, the artist connected the local plum blossoms with the distant Kaaba.