Eventail carnet de bal à la girafe

The central illustration is executed in watercolor, a medium that allows translucent washes and fine detail, while the surrounding patterns are rendered in gold leaf applied to the fan’s ribs. The combination of delicate pigment and metallic edging reflects a refined decorative tradition, emphasizing both visual appeal and the functional elegance of the fan as a portable object.

The fan is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography, indicating its classification as an artifact of cultural significance rather than a purely decorative art piece. Its provenance suggests it was created for a special occasion or as a diplomatic gift, typical of hand‑fans that circulated among elite circles in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Hand‑fans of this type were popular in European courts and colonial settings, where they functioned both as cooling devices and as carriers of exotic imagery. The inclusion of African fauna aligns with a broader trend of incorporating foreign motifs into fashionable accessories, reflecting contemporary interests in exploration and ethnographic curiosity.

Objects like this fan illustrate the intersection of artistry, material culture, and cross‑cultural exchange. Their preservation in ethnographic museums provides insight into the aesthetic preferences and social practices of the period, while also documenting the ways visual representations of distant lands were disseminated among Western audiences.