Victorian French Alençon Lace and Mother of Pearl Fan in Shadow Box Frame

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Victorian French Alençon Lace and Mother Of Pearl Fan Mounted In Professionally Made Shadow Box Frame

This beautiful antique fan … Read more Victorian French Alençon Lace and Mother Of Pearl Fan Mounted In Professionally Made Shadow Box Frame

This beautiful antique fan is an excellent example of an important lady's accessory during the nineteenth century. It was used not only as a method of keeping cool, but also as a tool for silent communication with others around her. The way she held the fan and made various motions with it communicated silently specific messages in social settings.

The leaf is made of gorgeous French Alençon lace, now bearing the delicate off-white of fine antique lace. The ribs and guards are made of mother-of-pearl, with a brass loop. Alençon lace is a type of needle lace that originated in the town of Alençon, France in the seventeenth century. It is known for its delicate, yet durable, netting ground, floral patterns outlined with a corded edge, and the ability to support embellishments like beading. After periods of popularity and decline in women's fashions over the years, it regained popularity in the nineteenth century, making it an ideal choice for an elegant and stylish lady's fan like this one. The manufacture of Alençon lace entered terminal decline at the end of the nineteenth century with changes in fashion and the development of cheaper, machine-made lace..

This hold-over from the more genteel days of centuries past is mounted in a professionally made shadow box frame for protection and for easy wall-hanging display. It is in very nice antique condition with only normal signs of age. Please view the detailed photos. See less