Exhibition Highlights: October 2015 Display of Rare Collectibles
In the heart of Atlanta, GA, resides a remarkable woman with a passion for history and culture, Sylvie. Born in Paris, France, Sylvie's love for antique fans began at an early age, a passion that has grown into an impressive collection of approximately 500 fans.
Sylvie's first fan was a Spanish fan purchased outside a bull ring in Bayonne, France, marking the beginning of her enchanting journey. This collection boasts numerous examples of European 18th, 19th, and 20th-century folding fans, as well as fans from Japan, China, India, and advertising fans from the 1920s-1930s.
The Collector's Showcase of Sylvie's fans took place in October 2015, sponsored by fancircleinternational.org. The showcase displayed the intricate beauty and historical significance of Sylvie's fans, with each piece representing a unique piece of history.
Folding fans, a popular type in Sylvie's collection, are compact when closed and expand to a semi-circle when opened. They are often made of paper, silk, or thin wood, with decorative designs, and have been used both for practical cooling and as fashion accessories or ceremonial objects. In Japan, for instance, folding fans (sensu) are used in traditional dances and rituals.
Brisé fans, another type in Sylvie's collection, are characterized by a series of decorative sticks or blades, often made of materials like ivory, tortoiseshell, or wood. These fans were favoured for their lightness and elegant design, often seen in 19th-century Europe as fashionable accessories.
Sylvie's collection also includes palmette fans, featuring a fan leaf shaped like a palm frond or palmette, typically affixed to a short handle. These fans were inspired by ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern designs and were often used in ceremonial contexts.
In addition to these types, Sylvie's collection includes fixed fans, rigid, non-folding fans with a single, often leaf-shaped blade attached to a handle. These fans were among the earliest types, found in ancient Egyptian, Assyrian, Indian, and Chinese art, and were used in ceremonies and as status symbols.
The Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta issued a series of fans made of plastic sticks and printed material in 1996, adding a modern touch to Sylvie's collection.
The leaf of Sylvie's fans can be made of various materials, including ivory, bone, MOP, tortoise shell, wood, horn, or plastic. This diversity in materials reflects the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into each fan.
Sylvie's fans are showcased at fanassociation.org and cercledeleventail.fr, offering a glimpse into this captivating collection for fans worldwide. Sylvie's passion for fans, spanning from her childhood in Paris to her current home in Atlanta, continues to grow, making her collection a treasure trove of antique fans for enthusiasts and historians alike.
Sylvie's passion for antique fans, evident in her impressive collection, extends beyond European examples to includes ones from home-and-garden worldwide, such as Japanese sensu and Chinese fans. At her Collector's Showcase, one could see the intricate beauty and historical significance of her lifestyle collection, with each piece being a unique piece of history.
