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Oracle Fan: M.316-1985

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Oracle Fan

Maker(s)

Maker: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Double paper leaf, printed, painted in watercolours and gilt.
The upper edge has a gold binding. Sticks of wood. Guards of wood edged and strengthened with ivory. (15+2). Brass rivet. Ivory arrow attached by a cream silk cord. Front features two putti, the title and numbered sections; the back the heads and symbols of gods and goddesses.

Double paper leaf, printed, painted in watercolours and gilt.
The upper edge has a gold binding. Sticks of wood. Guards of wood edged and strengthened with ivory. (15+2). Brass rivet. Ivory arrow attached by a cream silk cord. Front: In the centre two putti hold up a label inscribed 'L'ORACLE'. Below them is a wheel divided into numbered sections (6, 12, 18, 24 arranged concentrically), flanked by sprays of flowers. On the left there a rectangular frame containing five panels headed I-V, each of which has below ten names of gods and goddesses numbered l. - 10. Below there is an oval wreath containing 'QUESTIONS' numbered l.-5. This is repeated on the right with the panels numbered VI-X and questions 6. -10. The edges have gold and red borders of scrolls and flowers. Reverse: Linked by a bound laurel wreath there are ten medallions containing the heads and symbols of gods and goddesses, labeled above JUPITER, JUNON, APOLLON, DIANE, MARS, VENUS, BACHUS (sic), CERES, MERCURE and MINERVE. Below each is a rectangular panel containing two line answers and prognostications in French, numbered 1.-10. Borders of gold, silver and red scrolls and flowers. Sticks: undecorated. Guards: gorge undecorated; above the shoulder edged with ivory; head strengthened with ivory

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 Museum

Acquisition and important dates

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

Dating

19th Century, Early#
George III
Production date: circa AD 1800

Note

English for the French market. The text was also published in English by Jno Cock, I.P. Crowder & Co., No. 21 Wood Street, Cheapside, London, January 1, 1800.

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Cord composed of silk ( cream)
Leaf composed of paper ( double) watercolours gilt ink
Sticks+guards composed of wood
Guards composed of ivory Length 138 mm
Arrow composed of ivory
Rivet composed of brass (alloy)

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: M.316-1985
Primary reference Number: 117901
Old catalogue number: DR 14/216
Old object number: 359
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 25 February 2020 Last processed: Wednesday 13 December 2023

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 (2024) "Oracle Fan" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/117901 Accessed: 2024-11-14 21:52:46

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/117901 |title=Oracle Fan |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-14 21:52:46|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-117901

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