The Fitzwilliam Museum - Folding fan - 'A feast for two': M.55-2015

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Folding fan - 'A feast for two'

Maker(s)

Entities

Folding fan

Description

Chinoiserie leaf stamped in silver, depicting five waiters, one catching a butterfly, serving a banquet for two. Two trees in the background. The verso is stamped with a sage or mandarin standing by a villa.
The ivory sticks are finely carved with flowers. With flower pivot.

Notes

History note: The Lennox Boyd Collection. Christies no. 40

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

18th Century
Production date: circa AD 1760

Note

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.

This is a fan of quality: its sticks and guards are finely carved with flowers and its hand-painted leaf is further embellished with an applied sheet of silver leaf. The front of the fan, called the obverse (on display) shows an open-air dining scene with five waiters, one catching a butterfly, serving a banquet for two diners.