Fan

Art Historical Context

This delicate fan from late 1780s France the opulent accessories of pre-Revolutionary aristocratic life. Crafted from ivory sticks and a paper leaf, it served as both a practical tool for cooling and a fashionable statement piece. Fans like this were essential in the lavish social scenes of Versailles and Parisian salons, where they fluttered as subtle instruments of flirtation and coded communication—women could convey messages through intricate fan movements, a playful art form known as "le langage des éventails." The use of ivory, a prized material symbolizing wealth and craftsmanship, pai...