Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-07-31

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gaily carved and gilt: the small Dutch
ivory fan of the end Of seventeenth cen
tury, beautifully painted by one of the
masters of the low countries, we're fire.
quently imported into Paris. apd decor
ated in Vernis Martin were gteatly es
teemed; the German fan clearly pos
sessed a marked nationality, with it,
painted, and sometimes ingeniously-
carved ivory stick, while the English fan
of about the middle of the century was
by no means destitute of taste.
THE FANS OF THE PRESENT DAY.
At the present time, the large major.
ity Of the fans made in England are very
common affairs of paper or white wood
sometimes coarsely pierced and decor
ated with flowers Similar cheap fans
are also made in Vienna, whence large
numbers are exported.
The dress fan of high character is
now almost exclusively manufactured in
Paris. In no other city does a modern
fan command the price Of $780, and the
makers may we'll claim to have all Eu-
rope tributary to them, admitting, how
ever, that they cannot rival the cheap
and remarkable quality of the Chinese
fans.
The fan like the pin is the work OF
many hands-the painter, the carver,
the glider and the jeweler, with several
inferior artisans. In some instances the
fan is the design of an eminent artist,
who thus gives TO it uniform and har-
monious character.
In the report of the delegations Ouv-
rieres, Paris universal exhibition OF
1867, it is stated that the fan stick is
specially made in the department
d rOise, and that mother-of-pearl,
ivory, bone, sandal wood and other
domestic and foreign woods are used
thOmanufacture in mother-of-pearl being
carried on at Andeville, and in other
materials at st. Geneviere Entire
families devote their time to the work.
The finely painted mount is exclusively
Paris work, the best artists being fre-
quently employed. The fans thus pro.
duced are made under the direction OF
the principal dealers in the city, and
usually represent some speciality which
belong to their produce.
USE, INFORMATION AND ORNAMENT.
In the eighteenth century the fan was
used to record the event of the day.
Fashion, music, literature. politics were
alike made subservient to its power, and
to an extent which can now be hardly
imagined. The opera, the theater, the
senate or the church became the medium
of its exhibition. Thus, when Dean
Swifts "Gullivsr's Travels " appeared,
all the principal events were depicted
on both sides of the fan. The same re-
suit followed the production of the
Beggars Opera" the favorite songs in
which were painted on the fans, and
political emblems were so rife that a
lady's opinion was as readily known by
her fan as by her patches. A similar
practice prevailed in France, and in the
time of the revolution their artists were
fond of recording the principal events
of the period upon fans, among which
may be mentioned, "The Mountain
Child of the Republican Constitution, -
The Triumph of National Religion
over Atheism, Fanaticism and Skep-
ticsm, The Fete Of Agriculture, I"
etc.
Occasionally though very rarely, fans
were adapted in the ornamentation to the
useful. At the close of the eighteenth
century fan was advertised in theWorld
especially adapted to frequenters of the
opera, and was thus described: The
fans present at one view the number of
boxes including the additional ones; the
names of subscribers, etc., and have
been carefully compared with the plan
of the house as kept at this Office"
EMINENT FAN ARTISTS.
In the eighteenth century fan-making
was an extensive and important 'busi-
ness, and called into requisition the tai
ents of the highest and best painters,
many of whom commenced 'life as fan
painters In England at this period an
Italian artist named Pozzi, painted fans
from designs supplied by West, Reynolds
and Capriani, and which, according to
Miss Burney, were painted on leather,
thereby meaning chickens skin "
which she described as being more
beautiful than could well be imagined.
In like manner France produced in the
eighteenth century many artistic men
with whose names fans are intimately
associated. Amongst them may be men
toned Vatican, Godefroy, Frangenard,
Boucher, LEU and Willehls.
"vERNIs MARTIN.
The art called "Vernis Martin has
been much employed in the decoration
of fans, but little appears to be known of
the original designer of this novel and
beautiful work. Martin is reported to
have been coach painter in Paris in the
reign of Louis XIV, and was the inven-
tor of the fire varnish which bears his
name. He was probably skilled in all
the heraldic and artistic decorations
then lavished upon carriage panels He
has been described as "a famous painter
and chemist his fame is celebrated in
the verse of Yoltaire; and it is evident
that he was something more than "ver-
nissuer" as has been supposed His
fans, though remarkable for their fine
varnish, are far more distinguished by
their peculiar beauty, and novelty of
their ornamentation.