20,700 CHF
Probably English, 1790s, made for the Chinese market. Fine and elegant gold, ivory and enamel, pearl and green paste-set Chinoiserie fan. Two-sided, frame with 21 ivory blades chased and carved with Chinese scenes, the gold-over-ivory handle decorated with a champlevé enamel Chinamen among translucent green enamel foliage, pearl-set flowers and enameled fruits with butterflies flying among them. The top set with good-sized emerald paste encircled by split pearls. Length. 20 cm. Notes The fan, now an almost obsolete object, played an important social role in the past. Even men carried them as late as the 18th century, and in the mid-18th century Paris alone had more than 150 master fan makers. It was an important accessory without which one would not think of attending social gatherings.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2003-10-11
