Fan 1876 - 1899

Editor: Here we have a mixed-media fan made sometime between 1876 and 1899. The artist is Debillemont and it's currently held at the Met. What strikes me immediately is just how ornate it is, it really speaks to the height of decorative art. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: What interests me here is less the image painted on the fan and more the fan itself. Consider its materials: paper, mother-of-pearl, perhaps ivory or bone. Where did those materials come from? Who labored to extract and transform them into this object? Editor: So you're thinking about the supply chain, even back then? Curator: Precisely. This fan speaks volumes about global trade networks of the late 19th century and the intense labor conditions necessary to feed the demand for luxury goods by a wealthy elite. It’s easy to overlook this and simply appreciate the Rococo style scene depicted, but that’s the distraction. The fan *itself* is the story. Editor: That's a great point. I was focused on the subject of the painting and the delicate craft. I hadn't thought about the extraction involved, which feels disconnected from the scene. Curator: Think, too, about the consumption of this object. Was it *used* to fan someone or to signal someone in secret? Or was its *primary function* one of display to signal elevated social status, as something akin to portable wealth? Editor: So, rather than high art versus craft, you're interested in labor, consumption and the context around decorative objects that often gets overlooked? Curator: Exactly. This “Fan” isn’t just pretty; it's a ledger of exploitation and desire made material. Editor: That perspective completely reframes how I see not just this fan, but other decorative art of the period. Thanks!