An Interesting Mid-18th Century Ivory and Tortoiseshell Fan, the gorge...

Lot Description:

An Interesting Mid-18th Century Ivory and Tortoiseshell Fan, the gorge sticks in ivory with colourful painting of musical instruments and flowers, the guards over laid vertically with panels and shaped sections of pale mother-of-pearl and edged with tortoiseshell, with the addition of tortoiseshell/mother-of-pearl thumb guards. The gorge on the verso has faint traces of a design in gold. Unusually, this fan has two main leaves, with mythological subjects. To the recto, Apollo, God of Music and the Arts, seated by a tree, a goat to his left, a small lyre to hand being watched by several shepherds with their dogs and cattle. To the verso, the leaf features Pan, half man half goat, with most likely the nymph Syrinx, a river god and swan to the left and Cupid with his bow and quiver to the right. Contained in a cream card fan box with Duvelleroy label inside the lid. Guard length approx. 11.5 inches or 29cm.

Condition Report:
. Lacks one short section of a tortoiseshell thumb guard, and a section of MOP on the other guard. Some rubbing to the folds recto/verso. On each side of the leaf, the first 2 folds in are well rubbed and on the side with the river god this is more evident. Some nicks to upper folds. Otherwise quite strong, good colour.