Pleated silk fan with carved and etched ivory, France, ca. 1780-1790
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1780-1790
Dark green pleated silk fan with a gilt edge and carved and etched ivory sticks and guard. Carved in relief across the ivory sticks (in the part of the fan knows as the 'gorge') is the figure of a reclining semi-naked woman.
The scene may represent the 'Toilette of Venus'. 'The toilette' describes the process of getting dressed, and was a popular subject in French art of the 18th Century. The guardsticks are carved with the figure of a young girl in classical dress playing a tambourine above her head at one end, and a young man in the costume of the 1780's playing a lute at the other.
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
- Dimensions
- Length 9 in
- Materials and techniques
- Pleated silk, carved and etched ivory, paste
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- France
Identification
- Candidate id
- vam-O139697
- Museum object number
- T.217-1959
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked single-object source. Wider type attribution and authenticity have not been independently verified.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type and source attribution against specialist references.