Pair of Antique Theorem Painted Velvet Hand Fans With Gilt Handles

Details

Description

A charming pair of antique theorem-decorated hand fans, each featuring hand-painted floral designs on velvet with paper backing and gilt-painted … Read more A charming pair of antique theorem-decorated hand fans, each featuring hand-painted floral designs on velvet with paper backing and gilt-painted wooden handles. The floral decoration differs from one fan to the other, giving the pair a pleasing sense of variation while still reading beautifully together.

The painted surfaces have a soft, muted palette with warm blush and cream blossoms, dark foliage, and touches of blue, all framed by a red-painted border. The fans have lovely decorative presence and display especially well as wall objects, either side by side or incorporated into a larger grouping of antique textiles, folk art, or decorative accessories.

Theorem decoration refers to a 19th-century stencil-based painting technique in which layered cut templates were used to build up shaded floral and decorative designs, often on velvet, fabric, or paper. On fans like these, the method creates that soft, airbrushed look with stylized blooms and foliage, giving them a distinctive folk-art-meets-parlor-decor charm.

Unsigned.

Provenance: Estate of Princess Maria “Mimi” Romanoff.

Dimensions
Each: 16 in. H x 10.625 in. W

Materials
Painted velvet, paper backing, gilt-painted wooden handles See less