Folding fan with a mythological scene: M.72-2015

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Folding fan with a mythological scene

Maker(s)

Entities

Folding fan

Description

Hand-painted vellum leaf, with an extensive mythological scene, depicting Flora and Zephyr sitting with four putti amongst rose trees. Above is Venus (?) sitting in a cloud. Behind, a tower with two statues and a fountain with a statue of two boys above it.
Backed mother-of-pearl stick,s gilt and carved with scenes of lovers presenting gifts and two busts of women. The sticks very like Parisian work.

Notes

History note: The Lennox Boyd Collection. Christies no. 75

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 elaborate fan shows Flora (Roman goddess of flowers and spring) with her husband Zephyr (Roman god of the wind) seated amongst rose bushes attended by four putti. The carved and heavily gilded mother-of-pearl sticks have been backed with plaques of a finer type of mother-of-pearl known as burgo. Tarnish and corrosion was removed from the overlays using water containing an enzyme applied under magnification with a small cotton swab. Loose overlays were stabilised with a conservation adhesive.

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.