Fan
1800-1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Brisé fans have no fan leaf and are comprised of fan sticks held in place by a silk cord or ribbon. The sticks are often decorated by delicate piercing and carving. The intricate work on these mother of pearl fan sticks create an illusion of lace. Areas of the sticks have been left solid to carry gilded decoration. The fan would have been an opulent accessory, with the combination of mother of pearl and gilding creating a lustrous effect as the fan was handled.
On the fan guards there is a carving of Cupid about to shoot an arrow. Cupid often appears in French and English 18th century fan decoration, alluding to the role of the fan as an instrument of romantic communication and flirtation. In 1711 the journal The Spectator wrote that ‘women are armed with Fans as Men with Swords, and sometimes do more Execution with them’.
On the fan guards there is a carving of Cupid about to shoot an arrow. Cupid often appears in French and English 18th century fan decoration, alluding to the role of the fan as an instrument of romantic communication and flirtation. In 1711 the journal The Spectator wrote that ‘women are armed with Fans as Men with Swords, and sometimes do more Execution with them’.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Mother of pearl, pierced, carved and gilded. |
| Brief description | Brisé fan in mother of pearl, pierced and carved; made in France, 1800-1850 |
| Physical description | Brisé fan made of mother of pearl (probably Pinctada maxima), pierced and carved. The sticks have been leftp solid in three areas to form panels that are decorated with gilding. On one side there are gilded floral motifs. On the other side three female figures are depicted. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by H.M. Queen Mary. |
| Object history | RF number 1952/873. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Brisé fans have no fan leaf and are comprised of fan sticks held in place by a silk cord or ribbon. The sticks are often decorated by delicate piercing and carving. The intricate work on these mother of pearl fan sticks create an illusion of lace. Areas of the sticks have been left solid to carry gilded decoration. The fan would have been an opulent accessory, with the combination of mother of pearl and gilding creating a lustrous effect as the fan was handled. On the fan guards there is a carving of Cupid about to shoot an arrow. Cupid often appears in French and English 18th century fan decoration, alluding to the role of the fan as an instrument of romantic communication and flirtation. In 1711 the journal The Spectator wrote that ‘women are armed with Fans as Men with Swords, and sometimes do more Execution with them’. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.248-1953 |
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| Record created | July 24, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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