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Object Timeline
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Brisé Fan
This is a Brisé fan. It is dated early 18th century and we acquired it in 1952. Its medium is painted and gilded ivory sticks, tortoiseshell thumb guard, silk connecting ribbon, mother-of-pearl washer. It is a part of the Textiles department.
Title: Fanning the Flame of Love
This brisé fan (one consisting of rigid sticks joined with a ribbon) illustrates a story from ancient Greek mythology. Dionysus, the god of wine, finds Ariadne on the Island of Naxos. Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos of Crete, has fled away with Theseus, slayer of the Minotaur, and been deserted by him on the island. Here she is discovered by Dionysus, who woos and marries her. Bacchanalian revelry and romance were popular subjects in the 18th-century. Here, the classical story is presented above an equally lighthearted chinoiserie scene. Both the ancient world and the Far East were rich sources of decorative imagery.
This object was featured in our Object of the Week series in a post titled Fanning the Flame of Love.
This object was
donated by
Unknown.
It is credited Gift of Anonymous Donor.
Its dimensions are
H x W (open): 21.6 x 32.4 cm (8 1/2 x 12 3/4 in.)
Cite this object as
Brisé Fan; painted and gilded ivory sticks, tortoiseshell thumb guard, silk connecting ribbon, mother-of-pearl washer; H x W (open): 21.6 x 32.4 cm (8 1/2 x 12 3/4 in.); Gift of Anonymous Donor; 1952-161-198
This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibitions Foreign Exchange and The Virtue in Vice.
