Fine Louis XVI Period French Hand-Painted Silk Fan
Paris, Circa 1775–1785
A refined late-18th century French fan, retaining its original hand-painted silk leaf and finely worked bone monture.
The 14 cm leaf (28 cm across when open) depicts a charming pastoral fête galante scene — two elegantly dressed ladies attended by a gentleman, a lute resting nearby. The powdered coiffures and soft rose gown place it firmly in the later Louis XVI period, just prior to the Revolution.
The silk is hand-painted and framed with gilded scrollwork and embroidered sequins (paillons) that still catch the light beautifully. Floral sprays decorate the outer panels; the reverse remains plain.
The carved bone sticks are inlaid with fine silver pique work. The guards are particularly attractive, with applied metallic relief in silver and gold over luminous mother-of-pearl underlayment. The pivot is set with a bright French paste faux diamond rivet.
Measurements:
Leaf 14 cm; 28 cm span when open. Guard width approx. 2.5 cm.
Condition:
An authentic 18th-century survival. The silk shows splitting and age-appropriate wear with historic reinforcement visible from the reverse. Minor losses to the applied guard decoration. Structurally sound without tears at folds and without breaks to bone monture. Not suitable for use, but displays beautifully.
A graceful and decorative example from the final decades of the Ancien Régime — refined, intimate, and very Paris.
