The Mermaids

Fan with sculptured mother of pearl sticks, the guardsticks shorter than the leaf at its apex, producing a fan of elongated and rounded appearance (also referred to as fontange or balloon-shaped).

The double leaf is painted on the recto with marine nymphs and mermaids sailing in shells drawn by seagulls; signed Maurice Leloir.

The verso depicts a quieter seascape and is likely to have been executed by the same artist.

Leloir, Maurice (French, 1853-1940)
Artist and founding member of the French Watercolour Society and the Costume Historical Society. His original fan designs were popular with champagne houses such as Moet & Chandon. Leloir was born into a family of artists, with his mother Heloise Colin Leloir a noted fashion illustrator.
Leloir's passion for historical costume is evident throughout his work, in which he sought to reinterpret historical aesthetics and brought to their designs a sense of originality and flair.