Folding fan: M.338-1985

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Entities

Folding fan

Description

Folding fan, leaf of cream-coloured mixed lace. Sticks of spliced, pierced and carved mother-of-pearl painted in gold and silver. Ribs of pierced bone (16+2). Rivet of brass; washer of mother-of-pearl; loop of brass. Front: Duchess of Brussels mixed lace with floral design. Three asymmetrically set needlepoint panels are inserted into the coarser bobbin lace, which is linked by typically zigzagging brides. Back: Undecorated. Sticks: pairs of sticks are decorated with either sprays of leaves or sprays of leaves and flowers; the reverse is undecorated. Guards: the front guard has sprays of leaves and flowers profiling the edges; the back guard has scrolling leaves on the top profiling edges.

Notes

History note: Colonel Leonard C. Messel (1872-1953); his daughter Anne, Countess of Rosse (1902-1992)

Legal notes

Purchased with a grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and a gift from The Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bought (1985-01-28) by Countess of Rosse, Anne

Dating

20th Century, Early
Production date: circa AD 1900

Note

The quality of both the bobbin and needle lace is rather poor.

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Leaf composed of linen ( probably)
Ribs composed of bone
Sticks+guards composed of mother-of-pearl
Rivet+loop composed of brass (alloy)
Guards Length 35.3 cm