A rare and highly refined French brisé fan of the Empire / Restoration period, c.1810-20, executed with substantial gold-mounted guards ornamented in finely worked repoussé and beadwork relief, inset with red stones testing as garnets or amethyst and tiny round gems which test as emerald, in the period taste.
The fan retains its original hand-painted leaf, executed in gouache on vellum, depicting an allegorical classical scene within an idyllic landscape. The palette is unusually rich and saturated for the period, with deep emerald greens, vivid sky blues, warm rose and violet cloud forms, and extensive gilded detailing throughout. Examination under magnification reveals the painting to be entirely hand-executed rather than printed or stippled, with no visible intaglio dot pattern beneath the paint layers.
The reverse is delicately decorated with floral sprays and gilt ornament upon what appears to be an exceptionally fine vellum or vellumized paper support, showing a subtle natural pore structure visible under magnification.
The guards test strongly as high-carat gold. Deep file and acid testing performed discreetly within an interior structural area indicate a gold purity between approximately 16k and 18k, consistent with fine early 19th century Continental goldwork. The color, workmanship, and construction are entirely in keeping with documented French luxury fans of the Napoleonic and Restoration eras, including comparable jewel-mounted examples preserved in the collection of The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg.
The mother-of-pearl sticks are finely pierced and carved in repeating geometric and floral motifs, creating an elegant contrast against the richly gilded guards. The fan closes with remarkable precision and retains an unusually strong sculptural presence even when folded.
Examples employing solid high-carat gold guards were luxury objects from their inception—personal works of portable wealth as much as objects of fashion and courtly refinement.
Condition:
A remarkably well-preserved example overall for a fan of this age. Expected minor wear, scattered small losses, and age-related handling consistent with two centuries of survival. One guard rivet absent and to be sympathetically replaced with an appropriate period example. The fan remains structurally sound and displays beautifully both open and closed. Very slight imperfection to fold on 3 spots.
A rare and deeply evocative survivor of early 19th century French luxury arts, uniting jewelry, painting, goldsmithing, and the theatrical elegance of the grand tour era into a single object.
Dimensions: Guards length: 19 cm (7.48 inches)
Maximum guard width: 1.75 cm (0.69 inches)
Weight: 46.67 grams total weight
