Dressing Up, Dressing Down

Back to Dressing up, Dressing down

Fans have been carried to public and ceremonial occasions for centuries, and in many different cultures. The Gallery has a collection of over 350 fans, mostly representing fashionable accessories used in Britain, although often made abroad, particularly in China. Some examples are pictured below, dating from the late seventeenth century onwards, showing a range of decorative techniques, including painting, printing and stitching.

Full item descriptions:

"fan" [1965.130]
"fan" [1947.3857]
"fan" [1949.93]
"fan" [1970.91]
"fan" [1922.1060]
"fan" [1965.161]
"fan" [1986.408]
"fan" [1952.121]
"fan" [1959.282]
"fan & handscreen" [1947.3837]
"fan" [1981.59 B], Maquet Gravr
"fan leaf" [1952.353], Marchant, I, Gravelot, Hubert Francois
"fan" [1986.432]

Related Themes:

Dressing Up, Dressing Down
Sexuality
18th Century Women's Fashion