Superb and lush c.1880-1910 French fan, carved and excellent tortoise shell guards, sticks, thick ostrich feathers in solid black (a couple of images seem lighter - photography lights reflecting). The silver cartouche monogram has a crown top, meaning this fan could only have been made for a titled individual. The crown is consistent with that of a French Duchal, so made for a Duchess. Maquis is slightly different. We don't have the identity of the original owner, but of this much we can be certain. French makers could not add a decorative crown - strictly limited to those who held that status. The ostrich feathers are curly at ends, adding a laciness to the large opened fan. We've shown it front and back in our photos for your evaluation. Each spine is complete, unbroken, and our fan restoration professional has checked and re-sewn any feathers that were loose from the years.
Very good to excellent condition throughout. Looks beautiful closed and simply elegant and opulent when opened. The tortoise shell guards are 23 cm long and it's 40 cm long and opens to an impressive span of 78 cm in full. One can see rib here or there. I hadn't yet rubbed the sticks with a light oiled cloth so you see some slide marks at their worst. It's so pretty now for its next owner, though. No breaks, no bug bites. Superb!
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.
