Oliver Cornish
Sale Coordinator for Furniture, Sculpture, Rugs & Tapestries
Lot 114
A rare, printed vellum Royal Commemorative fan depicting George III and Queen Charlotte with the Royal family at The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 1788, together with two other Royal Commemorative fansEnglish, late 18th century
3 December 2025, 13:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£500 - £700
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Helena Gumley
Head of Sale Carpets and Tapestries
A rare, printed vellum Royal Commemorative fan depicting George III and Queen Charlotte with the Royal family at The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 1788, together with two other Royal Commemorative fans
English, late 18th century
The first fan, circa 1789-90 with coloured printed leaf to the obverse, the image after the painting by Johann Heinrich Ramberg (German, 1763-1840) and probably printed by Pietro Antonio Martini (Italian, 1737-1797), within gilt paper borders, the faux grained sticks and guard sticks with metal and mother of pearl rivet, together with a contemporary cardboard case with printed label B COKER, Fan Maker. Wholefale & Retail, No. 115, Fleet Street, London, NB Fans neatly Repaired, the second fan with paper leaf printed to the one side with the Royal Concert with the Prince of Wales playing the cello on a trompe l'oeil music sheet ground, inscribed 'Publish'd as the Act Directs Oct, 16, 1781, By J. Prefton, at his Mufic Warehouse, No. 97 Beaufort Buildings, Strand' within floral borders, the opposing side with a central reserve of a young lady and two navel officers, flanked by oval portraits, probably depicting Admiral Rodney and possibly General Clinton, and a view of a military camp and a battle scene, the later possibly depicting the Battle of the Saints, the whitewood sticks with mother of pearl rivet, the last fan commemorating the wedding of George III and Queen Charlotte of Meckleburg-Strelitz, circa 1761, the hand coloured printed paper leaf decorated to the obverse with allegorical, classical and historical figures including Britannia, the central group with two oval portraits of the Royal couple, the reserve plain, with whitewood sticks the obverse guard stick with flower and bird painted decoration on a blue ground, with bone and metal rivet,
The first fan 25cm high, 40cm wide, the second fan, 27cm high, 45cm wide, the last fan, 30cm, 50cm wide (3)
The first fan, circa 1789-90 with coloured printed leaf to the obverse, the image after the painting by Johann Heinrich Ramberg (German, 1763-1840) and probably printed by Pietro Antonio Martini (Italian, 1737-1797), within gilt paper borders, the faux grained sticks and guard sticks with metal and mother of pearl rivet, together with a contemporary cardboard case with printed label B COKER, Fan Maker. Wholefale & Retail, No. 115, Fleet Street, London, NB Fans neatly Repaired, the second fan with paper leaf printed to the one side with the Royal Concert with the Prince of Wales playing the cello on a trompe l'oeil music sheet ground, inscribed 'Publish'd as the Act Directs Oct, 16, 1781, By J. Prefton, at his Mufic Warehouse, No. 97 Beaufort Buildings, Strand' within floral borders, the opposing side with a central reserve of a young lady and two navel officers, flanked by oval portraits, probably depicting Admiral Rodney and possibly General Clinton, and a view of a military camp and a battle scene, the later possibly depicting the Battle of the Saints, the whitewood sticks with mother of pearl rivet, the last fan commemorating the wedding of George III and Queen Charlotte of Meckleburg-Strelitz, circa 1761, the hand coloured printed paper leaf decorated to the obverse with allegorical, classical and historical figures including Britannia, the central group with two oval portraits of the Royal couple, the reserve plain, with whitewood sticks the obverse guard stick with flower and bird painted decoration on a blue ground, with bone and metal rivet,
The first fan 25cm high, 40cm wide, the second fan, 27cm high, 45cm wide, the last fan, 30cm, 50cm wide (3)
Footnotes
For a comparable to the first fan in this lot the printed vellum fan of the same subject but with pierced ivory sticks and guard attributed to the fan maker and retailer, Antonio Poggi, see the Victoria and Albert, Assession number, T.56-1933