18th century French Fan I bought the day before I traveled to Paris
The day before my Paris sojourn in May 2007 I spotted a Exquisite Museum quality 18th century French marriage fan made for a French Aristocrat on goantiques . The price was right but since I was traveling to Paris on a budget it look like I would be having a few meals at McDonalds. The front of fan has 3 reserves, each beautifully handpainted with Old Master Boucher style mythological scenes on silk. The two on the sides depict playful cherubs. The central, larger reserve has a beautiful bejeweled young woman being courted by a Classical hero with an animal skin draped over one shoulder. An angel or putto hovers over the woman's shoulder holding a bow and arrow. They sit in a Classic mythological landscape garden, beautifully painted with trees and urns in the background. The paintings are edges with gold thread & sequins at the top and the bottom. The whole piece is set with little gold sequins delicately sewn on. Each reserve has a complicated double border with gold thread loops and bows, containing fine gold sequins. These, in turn, are surrounded by sprigs of colorful flowers, also handpainted and adorned with a fine golden chain thread.
bejeweled young woman being courted by a Classical hero
The two on the sides depict playful cherubs
The two on the sides depict playful cherubs
The back of the leaf was prepared for identical painting, but while the outlines were drawn in iron red, the painting was left undone. The sticks and guards are made of real carved & pierced ivory they have very fine openwork and embossed inlay or pique work with some gold inlay of patterns of hot air balloons,Montgolfier, architectural settings, figures of women and bird sellers and insects all done in three deferent colors of gold, yellow,rose,green inlayed into the ivory. The whole piece is set with little sequins delicately inlaid in the Ivory also. The ivory guards are especially complex carved and pierced with mother-of-pearl backing at the top of each guard is a carved pierced Montgolfier or Hot air balloon backed in bright red this is under a oval pouch covered with rock crystal. One of these pouches shows the gilded background, while the other contains 2 locks of fine strawberry blond and light brown hair, possibly of husband & Wife with a rosecut diamond bow on the hairwork backed with mother-of-pearl . There is a paste "diamond" at either end of the pin that holds the sticks together.
The back of the leaf was prepared for identical painting but left unfinished
Detail of guard are made of real carved & pierced ivory
Sentimental compartment concealing hairwork of husband & wife with rose-cut diamond bow
Detail of gold inlay ivory sticks
Only the very rich could afford to have fans like this commissioned in 18th century France. Because of the Hot air balloons this engagement fan date's from the 1780's. Aristocratic woman of 18th century France were given fans like this instead of engagement rings. Some of the most beautiful and refined fans ever made, displaying the highest level of artistic and technical ability, was created in Paris during the eighteenth century. Much admired by an international clientele, Rich tourist from abroad bought French decorative arts and also influenced fashions outside France. Fans of this period was the collaborative effort of various artists and craftsmen who worked according to strictly enforced guild regulations. Established during the Middle Ages, the guild system continued with little change until being dissolved in 1791 during the French Revolution. Eating at McDonalds in Paris was well worth this exquisite rare piece of history being added to my collection.
Fan on 18th century style French fabric
Detail of Artwork
Detail of bird seller carved gold leaf ivory
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Andrew, this is a wonder and a gem. Not one person in five thousand would see it for what it is. You must keep this always.
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