The earliest fans to arrive from trading destinations such as Venice and Portugal took the form of rigid screens fixed to jewel-encrusted handles. But folding models from the East had become fashionable by 1588, when repairs to fans ‘with branches of Iverye’ are recorded in the inventories of Elizabeth I. The condition of this fan is exceptional, with the polychrome embroidery on the leaves still clearly showing a decoration of vines, flowers, fruits and a snail. More than 400 years old, it now represents a unique record of fan-making in Britain before the trade began to flourish with the arrival of the French Huguenots in the late 17th century.
More information
Title of artwork, date
Elizabethan Folding Fan, 1590-1600
Date supported
2015
Medium and material
Ivory, silk and embroidery
Dimensions
19 × 29cm
Grant
12500
Total cost
45000

Get a National Art Pass and explore The Fan Museum
You'll see more art and your membership will help museums across the UK
National Art Pass offers available at The Fan Museum
Art Funded by you FAQs
Contact us
If you have a question about a work of art in our archive, please contact the Programmes team. We’ll be happy to answer your enquiry.