18th Century French Rococo painted vellum and ivory hand fan
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
18th century CE
This 18th-century French Rococo period hand fan exemplifies the artistry associated with the first golden age of fans in Europe. The fan leaf is crafted from vellum, featuring an intricate hand-painted gouache scene depicting five elegantly dressed nobles in a dreamlike, pastoral countryside setting.
The composition highlights a central female figure leaning on a tree, flanked by two male suitors, with an additional male figure fishing to the left and a woman observing the group near the water on the right. The picturesque scene is finished with a scrolling floral border in rich tones of blue, yellow, pink, and green. The structure consists of 16 ivory sticks, which are embellished with silvered decoration. Measuring 18 inches wide by 10.2 inches high, the fan is currently preserved within a modern wooden display case.
The object reflects the aristocratic tastes of pre-revolutionary France, where such fans served as both essential fashion accessories and artistic statements. The piece exhibits some tearing along the folds on the left side and minor losses to the silvering, yet remains in excellent condition with well-preserved pigments.
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
- Decoration
- silvered
- Stick count
- 16
- Leaf material
- vellum
- Fan dimensions
- 18" W x 10.2" H (45.7 cm x 25.9 cm)
- Stick material
- ivory
- Case dimensions
- 21.3" W x 14.5" H (54.1 cm x 36.8 cm)
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- gouache painting
Design
- Motif
- pastoral scenes with five nobles, waterside landscape, floral borders
- Style
- Rococo
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.