Collections Explorer

Maker(s) &
Production:

Unknown, maker, Rome

Name:

folding fan

Date:

circa 1700 — circa 1725

Description(s):

Folding fan, single skin leaf, painted in bodycolour and watercolour. Sticks of carved ivory, thumb guard of mother-of-pearl (20+2). Rivet of brass, washer of mother-of-pearl. Fan depicts the Roman general Coriolanus with his wife and mother.
Folding fan, single skin leaf, painted in bodycolour and watercolour. Sticks of carved ivory, thumb guard of mother-of-pearl (20+2). Rivet of brass, washer of mother-of-pearl. Front: the scene shows the Roman general Coriolanus (5th century BC) whose mother and wife are begging him no to besiege the city of Rome. Volumnia, his mother, is kneeling in the centre turning towards Coriolanus. On the left, Roman soldiers are standing in front of a tent. On the right, Virgilia, the wife of Coriolanus, is leading a group of four women and a naked child; further to the right a naked figure is lying under a tree and there is a woman with a child in the bottom right hand corner. The background shows a landscape. The top and left borders are painted in black gouache with a gold and silver pattern of dotted semi-circles enclosing a half flower; the lower border shows a thin dark (formerly black) line. The edging is of an over painted textile ribbon. Back: White, top and lower border are painted with roses. Sticks: Fan leaf shaped medallion in the middle which appears to show a scene from an Italian play in contemporary costume. The reverse of the sticks remain undecorated. Guards: Both guards are carved in the same way: a tulip at the bottom followed by the back view of a woman with a hat and a man holding a jug on top. The figures are in a panel with the background cut-away.

Technique(s):

painting; leaf
carving; sticks+guards

Material(s):

skin; leaf
watercolour; leaf
bodycolour; leaf
ivory; sticks+guards
mother-of-pearl; washer+thumbguard

Dimension(s):

length, guards, 26.8, cm
width

Acquisition:

bought; 1985-01-28; Anne, Countess of Rosse

Associated
Person(s):

Messel, Leonard; owner
Anne, Countess of Rosse; owner

Alternative
Number:

old catalogue number; DR 2/14; Messel-Rosse Collection; 1985

Accession:

Object Number: M.38-1985
(Applied Arts)
(record id: 117624; input: 2004-12-07; modified: 2012-10-10)

Permanent
Identifier:

http://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/117624