Few accessories capture the glittering elegance of late eighteenth-century France more completely than a superbly crafted folding fan, and this remarkable example represents the finest level of Parisian luxury craftsmanship. Fashioned during the transition from the refined Louis XVI period into the early Directoire era, the fan is mounted on exquisitely carved ivory guards and sticks, lavishly ornamented with intricate pierced decoration overlaid in shimmering silver and gold foil. Beneath the openwork, delicate pink foil backing creates a warm, luminous depth that would have sparkled brilliantly in the glow of candlelight. Throughout the monture, tiny jeweled accents and metallic ornament enliven every stick, transforming what might otherwise be a functional accessory into an object of true jewelry-like artistry. Particularly striking are the four convex mirrors inset into each guard, an exceptionally uncommon and highly desirable feature that reflects surrounding light and movement, creating a dazzling visual effect as the fan was carried through the salons and ballrooms of Revolutionary and Napoleonic France.
The silk leaf is equally captivating, embroidered with an elegant geometric arrangement of steel sequins and metallic embellishments surrounding open gauze reserves, a restrained yet sophisticated design characteristic of the neoclassical taste that replaced the exuberance of the Rococo period. The reverse is as carefully finished as the front, demonstrating the exceptional quality expected from the finest Parisian makers, many of whom supplied the celebrated luxury boutiques of the Palais Royal. Such fans were not merely fashionable accessories but treasured works of art, carried by society's most elegant ladies as symbols of refinement, wealth, and impeccable taste. Surviving examples retaining their elaborate foil decoration, mirrored guards, and original embroidered leaf are increasingly difficult to find, making this fan a particularly compelling acquisition for collectors of fine fans, French decorative arts, and luxury objects of the late eighteenth century. Measurements noted on photos. 28 cm x 2.5 cm guards.
Condition:
The fan remains in remarkably well-preserved antique condition for an object of such delicacy and age. The ivory monture is structurally sound with finely preserved carving and piercing. The silver and gold foil decoration retains excellent visual richness, with expected oxidation and minor age-related wear commensurate with over two centuries of careful preservation. The pink foil backing remains visible beneath the pierced ornament, enhancing the dimensional effect. The silk leaf exhibits scattered age toning, minor splitting and wear, with losses consistent with normal use, while the metallic sequins and decorative elements remain substantially intact. The convex mirrors retain their original charm with expected age-related surface wear and oxidation. Overall, the fan presents beautifully both open and closed, displaying exceptional presence and craftsmanship..
IMPORTANT NOTE regarding antique tortoise shell or ivory: We are great supporters of protection for endangered species in our modern world. We never buy or sell anything 100 years or newer; we donate to anti-poaching organizations; we don't hunt; we conserve in ways that impact global warming (we're totally solar at home), knowing those measures also protect the animals in the wild today. We also recognize the vast cultural history we preserve with our care and reverence for these antique objects, and agree with CITES that objects over 100 years of age have nothing whatsoever to do with species depletion in our current world.
Our offering exceeds the age limitation of "more than 100 years of age", and is well within the exemption for CITES regulation. If imported, met the CITES regulation. This item will be handled and shipped from our Utah business, and is not available for shipment internationally, nor within the USA to California, NY, Nevada, Hawaii, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington if it contains ivory, sorry. Please see our small print for more details.
