Judith Miller on collecting decorative fans

Judith Miller looks at decorative fans throughout the ages and what they can be worth today.

Original uses of fans include winnowing grain, activating fires, keeping insects away from altars, and for keeping cool. They first appeared around 3,000BC: no examples have survived but we can refer to tomb carvings and bas-reliefs. By the 6th century, China had created a ‘fixed fan’ consisting of a rigid screen mounted on to a handle. It is in China and Japan that designs became sophisticated, and in the 1100s, the Japanese developed a decorative folding ‘hiogi’ for use within court and ceremonial contexts. Four hundred years on, fans made their way to Europe; and by the mid-18th century almost all European countries had some level of industry.

ABOVE (left-right): 19th-century Chinoiserie bird fan, £200-£300; mid-18th century pastoral design with scalloped giltwood display case, £550-£750; late-19th century Belgium lace fan, £250-£350.

In both France and England fans became status symbols: increasingly complex methods were employed to make the montures (sticks and guards) using ivory, tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl, often set with semi-precious stones; the leaves were usually painted with biblical or mythological subjects. The development of printed material during the 1700s meant the middle classes could also carry fans; a move towards the everyday scenes becomes apparent during this time too. In the 19th century two talented French éventaillistes (fan-makers) emerged: the maisons of Alexandré and Duvelleroy made pieces for royalty.

Although fans began to fall out of favour in the early 1900s (they were regarded by suffragettes as signs of ‘unfettered femininity’) their popularity appears to be experiencing a mini revival thanks to the resurgence of burlesque and cabaret.

ABOVE (left-right): Continental painted fan – sticks are pierced with a mythological scene – c1840-1850, £1,500-£2,000; late-18th century ivory fan with Chinoiserie scenes and display case, £300-£400.

Tips for collectors

• Inspect carefully: sticks tend to break, ivory and bone montures can become dirty, while pleats can tear; however, some damage can be fixed.

• Advertising fans tell us a great deal about the cultural fabric of an era. Similarly, souvenir fans are bound with social significance that may only become apparent with time so collect while prices are low.

• Collectors on a budget should start their search on eBay; for high-end purchases, contact Christie’s.

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FEATURE JACOB MOSS, DEPUTY CURATOR, THE FAN MUSEUM PHOTOGRAPHS BEARNES, TENNANTS
Featured in the November 2011 issue of Period Living

Buy Judith Miller’s Antiques Handbook & Price Guide 2012-2013