Property fan with wooden sticks and paper leaf used by Tamara Karsavina as Mariuccia in Leonide Massine's ballet The Good Humoured Ladies with the Daighilev Ballets Russes, 1919. Signed and inscribed by Karsavina to Cyril Beaumont

Fan with wooden sticks decorated with geometric floral patterns and guard decorated with floral patterns, the leaf of paper painted with flowers in pink and white highlighted crimson. Inscribed: "November 20th 1919 / "Good Humoured Ladies" / To Mr Beaumont / Thamar Karsavina"

Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest

The inscription implies that the fan was used by Tamara Karsavina as Mariuccia in Leonide Massine's ballet "The Good Humoured Ladies", premiered by the Diaghilev Ballets Russes at the Teatro Constanza in 1917. Karsavina danced the role in the Company's London seasons in 1919 and 1920.
The fan came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest.

Historical significance: Beaumont acquired a number of props and costume parts from various dancers, usually appropriately identified and inscribed. The custom of giving parts of a costume as souvenirs has a long history and there is the legend that Nijinsky's dresser would sell petals from his Spectre de la rose costume to his fans. Beaumont's collection included such small props and costume accessories as fans, masks and scarves and must have caused the Wardrobe a small headache as these items disappeared.

S.847-2001