Vouwwaaier, zijden blad, voorzijde met aquarel beschilderd porseleinblauwe bloemen in de vorm van guirlandes en gouden bovenrand, montuur van ivoor ajour gesneden c. 1882

This fan was crafted by F. Leroy using silk, watercolor, ivory and gold. Fans have a history of being more than just functional items. Their delicate construction and decoration made them luxury objects, markers of status, and powerful communication tools for wealthy women. The porcelain blue floral garlands and gold trim of this particular fan are consistent with a taste for opulence. The fan’s creation involved the work of skilled artists and craftspeople. The delicate ivory frame suggests trade networks that were necessary to obtain exotic materials. By studying objects like this, historians look into the nuances of social display and the complex systems of labor and exchange that underpin elite culture.