Folding fan and fan box
- Place of origin:
France (probably, made)
Paris, France (made)
- Date:
ca. 1690 (made)
late 19th century (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown (production)
Vanier-Chardin (maker)
- Materials and Techniques:
[Fan] Leather painted with gouache, paper painted with gouache, pierced ivory, mother of pearl and brass
[Fan box] Imitation leather lined with silk
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
British Galleries, room 54b, case 2
- Download image
Object Type
The folding fan originated in Japan and was introduced to Europe in the second half of the 16th century. The principles of construction of the Japanese version were adopted, but with European decoration. Carving and painting skills specific to fan production soon developed. A wide range of pictorial subjects became popular for fan illustration.
Ownership & Use
A fan was an essential accessory in the formal dress of a wealthy woman. Although its original function was to cool the face, the fan soon became an important tool in non-verbal communication. The manner in which a lady held and moved her fan conveyed her feelings toward those around her.
Subjects Depicted
This rare late 17th-century fan depicts a domestic scene in a pastoral setting. The little boy or girl is in a child's dress, specially equipped with tapes from the shoulders to steady the child when learning to walk.
Physical description
[Fan] Folding fan of leather painted with gouache and with sticks of pierced ivory, with mother of pearl washers and a brass rivet. The reverse is a second leaf of paper also painted in gouache and stuck to the leather leaf. The obverse side shows a domestic scene taking place in the grounds of a country residence where a child of a noble family is being encouraged to walk. The parents are fashionably dressed, and the women have frontage caps. Nearby a shepherd sleeps whilst his flock grazes. The entire leaf is painted and has a decorative border. There is a ground wash of silver, some of which is visible in the sky and on the ground. The reverse has also been given a ground wash of silver and is painted all over with flowers including roses, peonies and jasmine. The pierced decoration of the sticks and guards, although quite intricate, is rather crudely done.
[Fan box] Fan box covered in imitation leather and lined with pink silk.
Place of Origin
France (probably, made)
Paris, France (made)
Date
ca. 1690 (made)
late 19th century (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown (production)
Vanier-Chardin (maker)
Materials and Techniques
[Fan] Leather painted with gouache, paper painted with gouache, pierced ivory, mother of pearl and brass
[Fan box] Imitation leather lined with silk
Marks and inscriptions
[Fan box] VANIER-CHARDIN Eventails Anciens 82 Bould Haussman PARIS
Dimensions
[Fan] Height: 10.75 in, Height: 27.3 cm, Width: 18.75 in open, Width: 47.5 cm open
Descriptive line
Folding fan probably made in France, ca. 1690, and fan box made in Paris by Vanier-Chardin, late 19th century
Labels and date
British Galleries:
The figures on this fan are dressed fashionably, like the Clapham dolls. A young child takes his first steps, supported by 'leading strings' from the shoulders. Fans came to be associated with flirting. In 1711 the 'Spectator' newspaper satirized their use: 'Women are armed with Fans as Men with Swords, and sometimes do more execution with them.' [27/03/2003]
Materials
Silk (textile); Gouache; Leather; Ivory; Paper (fiber product); Mother-of-pearl; Brass (alloy); Imitation leather
Techniques
Painting (image-making); Piercing; Lining (process)
Subjects depicted
Flowers; Children; Sheep; Shepherd; Country
Categories
Accessories; Leather; Women's clothes; Fans
Collection code
T&F
