Folding fan: MAR.M.240-1912

Current Location: Gallery 34 (Fan Gallery)

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

Folding fan
fan

Description

Folding fan, double skin leaf, painted in bodycolour and watercolour. Sticks of carved and pierced ivory; guards of carved and pierced ivory (19+2) rivet set with clear pastes. Front: In the centre, two women and a shepherd in classical dress; beside them, two kneeling, working men and two sheep. On the left, a man with a pipe and a woman with an open book of music on her lap, both sitting in contemporary dress; on the right, a woman kneeling behind a bush offering a man some fruit on a tray. There is a continuous background with trees and a high wooden fence in the centre, a cottage and a well on the left, and a wooden arch and a building on the right. Floral ornaments partly gilded flank the scene. There are fine gold lines on the inside top and lower edging, which is made of gold foil. Back: A woman is sitting under a tree close to a bank with an open book of music on her lap. Sprays of flowers with gold twigs and leaves border the scene. Sticks: the medallion in the centre shows four figures, one of them in a Roman cuirass and helmet pointing to another figure. Two identical couples flank the cartouche, a woman with an open book on her lap and a gentleman. Above the side scenes, similar chinoiseries, two pierced medallions and a medallion with birds; free spaces are filled with floral ornaments. Reverse undecorated. When closed, the sticks show a carved flower with scrolling leaves. Guards: the shoulder of both guards is decorated in a similar way with a flower on the bottom, a flower and slightly scrolling ornaments in the middle and a vase of flowers on top. The guard proper of the front guard has a flower, a standing woman and a kneeling, winged putto. The back guard has a more formal design with a vase of flowers, an oval medallion with a pierced pattern, and a standing man in Roman cuirass.