Oliver Cornish
Sale Coordinator for Furniture, Sculpture, Rugs & Tapestries
Lot 97
Three mother of pearl folding fans, one with classical figural landscape, the others with rustic courtly and peasant figural decorationFrench or Italian, the first two probably second half 18th century, the last probably late 19th century
3 December 2025, 13:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£1,000 - £1,500
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Helena Gumley
Head of Sale Carpets and Tapestries
Three mother of pearl folding fans, one with classical figural landscape, the others with rustic courtly and peasant figural decoration
French or Italian, the first two probably second half 18th century, the last probably late 19th century
The first with vellum leaf painted with allegorical figures probably representing the Sciences, the elaborately pierced, painted, silvered and gilded sticks with a central figural cartouche of musicians and courtly figures flanked by trophies on a pierced ground, the guard stick with musicians, the second with vellum leaf painted with a central figural cartouche flanked by similar landscapes on a trompe l'oeil lace and blue ground with gilt spangled borders, the sticks with gilded pierced rectangular and shaped oval foliate trellis decoration, the guardsticks similarly with vases of flowers, the last with paper leaf painted with an asymmetric cartouche of a shepherd and shepherdess within gilt scrolling borders, the sticks with a further offset cartouche of figures on a seesaw and a smaller cartouche of single figure on a foliate trellis ground, the first, 29cm high, 55cm wide, the second, 24cm high, 45cm wide the last, 26cm high, 46cm wide (3)
The first with vellum leaf painted with allegorical figures probably representing the Sciences, the elaborately pierced, painted, silvered and gilded sticks with a central figural cartouche of musicians and courtly figures flanked by trophies on a pierced ground, the guard stick with musicians, the second with vellum leaf painted with a central figural cartouche flanked by similar landscapes on a trompe l'oeil lace and blue ground with gilt spangled borders, the sticks with gilded pierced rectangular and shaped oval foliate trellis decoration, the guardsticks similarly with vases of flowers, the last with paper leaf painted with an asymmetric cartouche of a shepherd and shepherdess within gilt scrolling borders, the sticks with a further offset cartouche of figures on a seesaw and a smaller cartouche of single figure on a foliate trellis ground, the first, 29cm high, 55cm wide, the second, 24cm high, 45cm wide the last, 26cm high, 46cm wide (3)
Footnotes
Provenance
Ruth Sebag-Montefiore (1916–2015), member of the Fan Circle.