Fan
Accessories
2022.3.17.19.AC.FA.C1780.FR
Description
Fan made of 20 ivory sticks and a large paper leaf, embellished on both sides with six engraved panels representing different scenes of Chinese life. On the recto, the engravings are enhanced with watercolour in golden frames, with Chinese town landscapes in blue ink on the background. On the verso, the enravings are printed in gold with blue framings, and golden trees, houses and pagodas with blue details on the background. The first and the last sticks are inlaid with silver, forming trapeze contours on the top, and all the sticks are openwork with stylized vertical leaf garlands. A mother of pearl flat circle embellishes the bottom from each side, holding an engraved brass ring.Chinoiserie entered European art and decoration in the mid-to-late 17th century; the work of Athanasius KIRCHER influenced the study of orientalism. The popularity of chinoiserie peaked around the middle of the 18th century when it was associated with the rococo style and with works by François BOUCHER, Thomas CHIPPENDALE, and in particularly Jean-Baptiste PILLEMENT.
The six vignettes that make up the illustration on this fan are based on designs by PILLEMENT, published around 1758. In 1767, the publisher Charles LEVIEZ brought together the plates engraved after PILLEMENT. The first part contains one hundred and thirty Chinese subjects, figures and ornaments, as well as various flowers.
Jean PILLEMENT personally produced etchings, including the "New suite of Chinese arabesque notebooks for the use of draftsmen" (after 1775). Such books allowed designs to be more widely disseminated and provided a repertoire of ready-made scenes for fan painters to draw from.
Materials
IvoryPaper
Silver
Mother-of-pearl
Brass
Origin
vers 1780 FranceDimensions
Length : 51 cmHeight : 27 cm