Here is a fan that we want to submit to the wisdom of our friends and visitors.
But first, let’s describe it. It is a 14 sticks fan (plus 2 guards). The monture appears ivory., with metal rivet and eyes.
The sticks are pierced and slightly carved on the recto in a gallant
manner, with mirrored cartels around a central one showing a woman
wearing a bouquet - or a fan? - : putti, doves, butterflies, musical
trophies... The identical guards, doubled with glittering paper, show
two putti, one playing the flute. The rivet and eyes (very small) are
made of metal. The total height is 28.4 cm and the width of the leaf is
13.4 cm.
The decor of the face is very particular. In a wood, there is a group
of children in Louis XV attire. In the center, these children represent
two seated women, one holding a parasol, the other a fan. A man
standing, cross (of the Holy Spirit?) on his chest, sword on the side,
cane in one hand and lorgnon
in the other, examines the women. On the right, a soldier with boots
gives a hand-kiss to the woman with a fan. Another man is slightly
backward. On the right side, a couple is walking. On the left side, in
front of a passing couple (the woman without a hat), a mundane
ecclesiastic, sitting on one chair and feet on another, seems to read
his breviary. Around the leaf, added golden scrolls and floral
decorations.
The reverse shows in the center a landscape with a lake (?) and various
small boats. A few sketched characters are busy near a promontory with
a fortified complex. The tower is surmounted by a blue, white, red
French flag. On the sides added golden floral patterns, also present at
the border.
The
quality of the painting is undeniable, as well for the details as for
the colors and the porcelain complexion of the characters. The reverse
is drawn more simply than the face, but with a better quality than most
of the reverses we find on 18th century fans. The presence of a
tricolor flag gives a priori
a plausible dating, because it was the official navy flag of France
after 1794 and the army flag after 1812. But the Restoration in 1814
then in 1815 and until 1830 resumed the white flag. It is only been
since 1830 that this 'blue white red' flag has been the official emblem
of France.
 ,
This fan was presented in a frame perfectly adapted to its shape and dimensions, bearing the inscription: "end of 19th century fan". But the auctioneer, in the catalog of the sale where this object was bought, considered it as "late 18th-early 19th century".
What to think? In our database, the characteristics of this fan (number
of sticks, dimensions) correspond to some fans from the end of the 18th
century, often English (except during the revolutionary period) but
especially to French fans from the 1870s to 1890s, and not to fans from
the early 19th century.
We think that about twenty years ago we saw another fan with such
costumed children, giving the strange impression of big-headed adults.
But we can’t find a photograph of it. Maybe it was even this one? In a
Paris December 2, 2003 sale there was a similar description (Eventails
IX, Me Deburaux, Rossini, Expert Mrs. Saboudjian). Alas, the photo we
kept (below, left) is unusable, even though it shows that it was not
the fan
we are presenting to you today, and that one had completely French
dimensions. Another fan shows children in 18th Century attire it was
offered by the Cercle de l'Eventail to the Paris Musée de la Mode et du
Costume (Galliera) in 1999 (see a picture below -right- and at the
museum website here).
 
You have already guessed the questions we ask ourselves, and that WE ASK YOU:
- from when does this hand fan date?
-do you have similar fans in your collections, or have you seen some somewhere?
Other fans.
Deborah Weddle, a very active member of the Fan Association of North
America, has pointed out other children in 18th-century costume on a
fan from her collection. We thank her for allowing us to show them
here. This fan is likely French and probably dates from the 1860s.
 
Thank you for your answers (see address on the homepage) Go and see our other
questions! Browse around this Place de l'Eventail!
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