brisé, tortoiseshell, carved, pierced and gilded, and decorated with piqué, 1820s-30s, probably French

Tortoiseshell fan made with twenty-one sticks, attached to the guards at their base by a metal rivet with plain washers and at about 4.5 cm from the outer edge of the fan by a gilt metal thread ribbon which passes through one centimetre wide slots, the ends of the ribbon being stuck to the guards. The guards have been inlaid with small silver metal discs which run along the outer edges and terminate at the upper end in an 'M' shape below the leaf-shaped tips which have been carved in a stylised foliate pattern and gilded. The tips of the sticks have been carved in two patterns, a pierced spray of seven leaves and an elongated bell-shape. These shapes have been mounted alternately. Each stick has been pierced to form a horizontal band of alternating circular and diamond shapes just below the ribbon; these are gilded and decorated with inlaid metal discs. Another similarly decorated pierced band runs across the sticks at about 5cm from the base.The area between the two bands has been carved with a floral spray which has also been gilded. The two outer sticks only have been carved and pierced to form a geometric pattern running between the horizontal bands. The reverse of the fan is undecorated.

Given from the Everts-Comnene-Logan Collection

Donated by Lady Logan from the collection of her parents, Robert and Alexandra Everts. Robert Everts (b. Brussels 12 Sept. 1875; d. Brussels 30 April 1942) was born in Brussels the son of the Dutch Consul who adopted Belgian nationality c.1898 and entered the Belgian Diplomatic Service, serving in Paris (1900-09), Mexico (1901-02) and Bucharest (1902-06). He married Alexandra (b. Corfu 4 Feb. 1880; d. Brussels 1961) whose mother was Angelia née Calvocoressi and who chose the family name Comnene, in Brussels in 1913. Alexandra accompanied her husband in his foreign postings to Peking between 1910-16 and again in 1920-24, Berlin 1924-31 and Madrid 1932-29 after which the couple resided in Brussels. Together they formed collections of Mexican armour, Mexican textiles, Puebla ceramics, Spanish colonial glass; Chinese textiles, Chinese and Japanese lacquer, Chinese furniture, ceramics and metalwork; and they preserved inherited period lace.

Parts of these collections have been acquired by museums internationally:
The British Museum: Mexican textiles and beadwork (1994 AM3.1, AM7.1-20; 1996 AM10 1-18; 1997 AM4.1)
Mexico City, Franz Mayer Museum: Mexican rebosos and textiles (1994 AD-004, AD-020;DRA-0009, DRA-0025; AD-021, AD-030; DCH-0001, DCH-0010; AD-031, AD-038; DFB-007, DFB-0014); Ecclesiastical embroidered panels, XVI century (2002 09157-01966; DCN-0013, FCF-0011-15; FPA-0013-16)

Alexandra Comnene-Everts was herself a proficient artist and designer. Albums of her drawings of ornament on Chinese monuments (c. 1919-25) have been acquired by the British Library (1998 N Or.15493/1-6) and the bridal tiara she commissioned from Cartier in Paris is on loan to the Victoria & Albert Museum.

The acquisitions from this collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum are:
Asian, set of 8 kessus (silk tapestry), late Ming period (T.269-G-1971); feather fan, carved jewelled handle, Chinese, c. 1910 (FE-2008)

Fashion, 20th century dress (T.12-203 – T.17-2003); Textiles, Belgian and Flemish lace (T.5-2003; T.6-T.10-2003; T.62-2008; T.63-2008; T.64-2008; T.65-2008)

This fan was probably bought by Alexandra Comnene-Everts as an antique in Italy.

Ref: Claire Brisby, 'Angelia Calvocoressi 1840-1929: A Cosmopolitan Life,' Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora, 30.2 (2004), 98.

A brisé fan is the name given to a fan with no leaf, composed entirely of sticks held by a rivet at the base and joined by a ribbon along the top edge. This fan is made of tortoiseshell which has been carved, pierced and gilded, and inlaid with small metal discs in a technique known as piqué. The fan's small size and the sticks' shaped tops are typical of the 1820s and 30s.
The fan would have looked particularly attractive and eye-catching in bright sunlight or candlelight as the transparent tortoiseshell glows richly when light is directed at it from behind. Light would also have been reflected off the silver metal discs and gilding which decorate the tortoiseshell.

T.62-2008