Brisé fan of pasteboard covered with silk, decorated with straw appliqué work, probably made in Florence, 1620s
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1620s
Brisé fan of seven sticks, each one shaped to represent a curled feather. Cut straw, applied to silk covered pasteboard. The sticks are made of rigid pasteboard, reinforced with fine metal rods or wires and covered in green silk decorated on both sides of high-quality appliquéd straw and cut roundels of gold paper.
The straw veneers have been cut into shapes of flowers and birds, whose plumage are cut frayed. This brisé fan is the earliest fan in the V&A's collection. The high quality of the straw-work suggests the fan might have been made in Florence, one of the centres for this craft in the early 17th century. The golden colouring of the straw-work emulates the opulent gold gilding that was characteristic of Baroque design during this period, with the green silk working to enhance the richness of colour.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 2
- 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 256 mm maximum; Width 412 mm maximum; Depth 25 mm
- Materials and techniques
- Cut straw applied to silk covered pasteboard, reinforced with metal rods, decorated with gold paper and silk
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- Florence
Identification
- Candidate id
- vam-O68766
- Museum object number
- T.184-1982
- 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.