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Folding fan: M.2-1985

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Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Maker: Stagni, Francesco

Entities

Categories

Description

Trompe l'oeil folding fan, drawn and painted on chicken skin. Sticks and guards are made of ivory and pierced gilt. Dated 1771 on front and back and signed by Francesco Stagni. The design includes a circular vignette with two young boys holding a branch and what looks like a plough. The remainder of the fan is decorated with overlapping drawings, and strings of coloured pearls on a pink diamond trellis background. The overall design gives the impression of a desk scattered with paper. The design on the back includes a drawing of a letter, headed 'Bologna, June 1771', and is signed 'Gaspare Lamar'.

Notes

History note: Colonel Leonard C. Messel (1872-1953); his daughter Anne, Countess of Rosse (1902-1992)

Legal notes

Purchased with a grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and a gift from the Friends of the Fitzwilliam

Measurements and weight

Width: 52 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bought (1985-01-28) by Countess of Rosse, Anne

Dating

18th Century, third quarter
Production date: AD 1771

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Leaf composed of bodycolour ( polychrome) chicken skin
Sticks+guards composed of gilt ivory
Guards Length 28.4 cm

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: Francesco Stagni
  • Location: On front
  • Method of creation: Hand-written
  • Type: Signature
  • Text: Bologna, June 1771
  • Location: On back, on drawing of letter
  • Method of creation: Hand-written
  • Type: Inscription
  • Text: Gaspare Lamar
  • Location: On back, on drawing of letter
  • Type: Inscription

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: M.2-1985
Primary reference Number: 117588
Old catalogue number: DR 21/272

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 29 April 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Folding fan" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/117588 Accessed: 2025-12-07 18:18:56

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/117588 |title=Folding fan |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-07 18:18:56|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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