The fan was a fashionable female accessory throughout the 18th century and all European countries produced them in large numbers. These range from simple and inexpensive styles such as bone sticks and paper leaves to highly ornate versions made of vellum, gold and silver.
The present example is made of precious mother-of-pearl and paper leaf, which is delicately hand-painted in watercolours with a couple courting, a suitable subject for a young lady.