Fan

Art Historical Context

This elegant 18th-century French fan crafted from delicate paper mounted on ivory guards, exemplifies the refined decorative arts of the Rococo era. Measuring 10½ x 18½ inches when open, its lightweight yet luxurious materials—ivory for the sturdy, often intricately carved sticks and paper for painted or printed leaf—made it a portable accessory for both men and women. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Department, it entered the collection as a gift from Mrs. William Randolph Hearst in 1965. In the opulent courts of Louis XV's France, fans were far m...