'Christophe Colmbe devant Ferdinand et Elisabeth': M.351-2015

Current Location: In storage

Titles

'Christophe Colmbe devant Ferdinand et Elisabeth'

Maker(s)

Entities

Folding fan

Description

Folding fan. Paper leaf with hand coloured etching, with scene depicting Christopher Colombus before Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, on simple bone sticks.

Notes

History note: Lennox Boyd Estate. Christie's no. 1062

Legal notes

Accepted by H. M. Government in lieu of inheritance tax from the Lennox Boyd Estate

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Allocated (2015-04-27) by H.M. Government

Dating

19th Century
Circa 1800 CE - 1810 CE

Note

The scene portrays the explorer Christopher Columbus presenting treasures from his exploratory voyage to the Indies to his patrons, the king and queen of Spain, upon his return in 1493 (over 300 years before the fan was made). Such historicising scenes were made popular through novels, plays, operas and poems. A metal repair is visible on the front guard.

This fan forms part of the collection of the Hon. Christopher Lennox Boyd, allocated to the Museum by H.M. Government in lieu of inheritance tax in 2015. The collection of over 600 fans ranges in date from the 18th to the 20th centuries and in type from bejewelled and hand-painted court and wedding fans, to printed mass-produced advertising fans, aide-memoire fans, mourning fans and children’s fans.