The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-04-14
READING HISTORY IN RARE FANS

II is easy to account Tor the charm
of old fans. says writer in tie
Queen. London. Their strong in
terest. their close memories Of powder
and patches, of high headdress and
hoped peeticoats. and of that courtly
grace which is inseparable from the
eighteenth century. all invest this ht-
tie instrument with an attractiveness
and although there have been fans at
most periods of the worlds history,
the eighteenth century is the fan
period par excellence. when II was
in the hands of every woman, gentle
and simple.
Let us glance at a modicum of the
numerous types of fans which pre-
vailed during the period above in
titcated. 1t was durinRs the latter
years of the Grand Monar lue that
four brothers named Martin, coach
painters, sons of tailor of the Eau
bourg Saint Antoine, while making
experiments in the imitation OF Orb
entail lacquer. developed method OF
vanishing admirably suited TO the
decoration OF fans. the quality Of
which has never since been rival ID.
Vernis Martin fans were nf the kind
called 'Hbrise." t. e. number of ivory
sticks strung together by Il ribbon at
the top. and opening out to a fiat
surface on which were painted re-
ligious. allegorical hist oricai and
other subjects. and vanished after
the manner Of the fine Chinese lac
ouer. They date from the first de
cade Of the eighteenth century, one Of
the earliest being the bridal fan OF
the Duchess of Burgundy. Adelaide OF
Savoy, mother of Louis Ky. and rep
resents the fetes at Versailles on the
occasion Of the marriage of the grand
son of Louis XIV. in 1909.
An example from tho old world mu-
scum Of Cluny in Paris. is one of the
best vernis Martin fans extant. It
represents a garden scene. with an
actor or opera singer rehearsing his
part, one of the seated ladies' prompts
him. another sounds the lutte, while a
group on his right express admira-
tion. The subject ia en- cartouche,
with festoons of flowers. and the GU
rious, rather finickins ornament
characteristic OF all these fans, and
apparently peculiar to the brothers
Martin.
Fine examples of vernis Martin
fans are extremely rare. One of the
most famous formed part of the un-
rtvalied collection of Queen Victoria.
now dispersed. Excellent specimens
are also In the possession of Lady
Northcliffe Leopold de Rothschild,
and others
The folded fan reached its highest
development during the period OF
Louis XIV. and was formed of skin
delicately painted in gouache, stretch
ed upon an ivory stick, infinitely cary
ed. richly incrusted with gold, and
often jeweIed,
1t would be interesting to trace the
origin OF the term chicken skin, al
most universally applied to the ma
terial of the fan leaf. II has nothing
whatever to do with chickens or with
any bird that ever flew. but is simply
kid subjected to particular treat
ment A graceful pastorelle from the
Cluny Museum is a typical example
of that large class of French fans, in
which those fetes galantes converse
tons galantes. and amusements cham
petres of Vatican. Lancret, Tater
and Fragonard were largely drawn
upon and deemed most suitable for
such a delicate instrument as the fan,
The stick, always as important rs the
leaf, is in this instance OF ivory, cary
ed a jour, with gold incr1stations. the
brins assuming the more restrained
form characteristic of the period Of
Louis Quinze. in marked contrast TO
the ornate sticks of the succeeding
epoch. when the fan opened out to
full semicincle.
"Cabriolet" fans are those in which
the leaf Is divided into two parts, one
wider than the other. and were in
troduced during the period of Louis
XIV. The decoration consists of Pa
risian scenes. in which the cabriolet
then newly invented, IL introduced.
Two varieties of these interesting
and rare fans are extant, a larger
fan opening out to a little more than
two-thirds OF circle. usually n skin
mount. the stick rich with gold in
crustations. and somewhat smaller
fan. the mount often of paper. the
stick more plainly carved and painted
There were also painted fans decorat-
ed in similar manner with cabtio-
lets.
The ''cabriolet. fan expressed the
nrsvailin< craze Of, the moma-A nrh1