A CANTON MOTHER-OF-PEARL BRISÉ FAN 19TH CENTURY, CIRCA 1840

拍品描述

A CANTON MOTHER-OF-PEARL BRISÉ FAN 19TH CENTURY, CIRCA 1840 The fan is formed as a finely worked brisé fan, its individual mother-of-pearl sticks opening into a broad, radiating arc and secured at the base by a pivot. The softly lustrous shell surface displays the characteristic iridescence of mother-of-pearl, with shifting tones of pale cream, pink and green visible across the ribs. Each stick is delicately engraved with dense ornament, combining floral panels, geometric borders, architectural vignettes and figural scenes. The rounded upper ends are similarly decorated, creating a continuous scalloped crest when the fan is fully opened. A fabric ribbon passes horizontally through the upper section, holding the sticks in alignment and preserving the fan’s elegant spread. Canton mother-of-pearl brisé fans were produced in southern China for the export market, particularly during the first half of the 19th century. They were prized in Europe for their exotic material, refined surface work and technical delicacy, often serving as fashionable accessories as well as displays of highly skilled Chinese craftsmanship. Dating to circa 1840, this example reflects the taste for richly engraved export wares, where narrative detail and ornamental precision were combined with the natural brilliance of shell. The fan’s pale, almost translucent appearance gives the engraved decoration a subtle, shimmering quality, rewarding close inspection while retaining a graceful overall silhouette. Length of fan: 18cmWidth: 17cm

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