item details
NameBrise fan
ProductionUnknown; circa 1720; France
Classificationfans, brisé fans, works on paper
Materialsivory
Materials Summarybrise fan, ivory blades, painted in oil and varnished. Mother of pearl thumbguard, mother of pearl washer at brass rivet.
DimensionsOverall: 354mm (width), 215mm (height)
Registration Number1938-0003-4
Credit lineGift of Mr and Mrs Ernest Makower, 1938
Overview
All aflutter
From the late 1600s, a hand-held fan was a must-have for every high-society woman in Europe. The French court sparked the trend, influenced by fans from Japan and China.
Fans were used to cool the face, but they were also expressive fashion items. Courtesy books defined proper manners for their use:
Fans can express desires ... and what beauty does a fan give in the hands of a Lady who knows to employ it fitly! It can wind like a snake, flutter, point, unfurl, move up and down, according to the situation and circumstances.
Louis-Antoine Caraccioli, 1757