These feathers are so 'feathery', meaning puffy and fluffy, and not the least flat. They seem almost like long strands of fine hair as they flow in any movement of the air. Is it ostrich, or some other more exotic feather? Not like my other feather fans, really. See images to understand what I mean. The fan is stunning, and large! While the fine tortoise shell guards measure 24.5 cm, the fan opens to at least 60 cm. Complete, no broken guards, sticks or spines. The spines seem to be coned in white paper and the feather attached there. I assume they are also tortoise shell, and the white cones were to keep them as close to invisible in this special kind of feather. Not certain. Emu? Certainly luxurious.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type, it has been protected through time in a large box which allows the feathers to retain their fluffiness. I am certain it isn't original, since Nina Ricci began c.1932, and this fan dates a good 30 years earlier, c.1880-1905. It will remain in the roomy box, however, for our customer.
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.
