Twee ornamenten 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries sketched these ornaments, capturing two distinct handle designs. The lower design features a striking fan motif. The fan, an age-old symbol, unfolds like the cosmos. From ancient Egypt, where fans cooled pharaohs and represented divine breath, to its presence in Japanese culture where it signifies authority, the fan carries diverse meanings. In Europe, its delicate unfolding became a language of courtship. Like the ouroboros, the serpent eating its tail, the fan’s symbolism is cyclical. It represents not just status or beauty but the very breath of life, resurfacing across cultures and epochs, each time adapting, yet echoing its ancient origins. The motifs in these ornaments are more than decorative flourishes; they whisper of enduring human narratives.