18th Century French Neoclassical Vellum and Ivory Hand Fan
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 18th century CE
This 18th-century French Neoclassical hand fan represents the artistry and fashion of a period when such items were essential accessories. The fan features a folding vellum leaf delicately hand-painted with an elaborate Classical scene, interpreted as an episode from Homer's Odyssey, depicting Athena addressing a queen near a shipwreck.
The central scene is embellished with cupids and framed by vibrant floral motifs. The folding sticks are crafted from ivory, with the guard sticks displaying intricate openwork relief carvings of lovers in a pastoral landscape featuring Roman ruins. The tops of the sticks are decorated with miniature paintings of animals, landscapes, seascapes, and still-life compositions. A red glass element serves as the pivot. The fan measures approximately 20.5 inches in width by 10.6 inches in height and is currently housed in a custom display frame measuring 26.25 inches by 16 inches.
The fan demonstrates the refined aesthetic preferences of the noble class during the era preceding the French Revolution, blending mythological themes with pastoral imagery.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- vellum, ivory, red glass
- Dimensions
- fan 52.1 cm x 26.9 cm, frame 66.7 cm x 40.6 cm
Technical characteristics
- Decoration
- hand-painted, openwork relief carving
- Construction
- folding fan
Design
- Guards
- openwork relief with lovers and Roman ruins
- Obverse
- Classical scene of Athena and a queen with shipwreck background, cupids, floral motifs
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.