Time Piece

Fan with carved, pierced and painted ivory sticks and guards further applied with mother of pearl.

The enlarged pivot end is set with a miniature landscape on one side and a timepiece by John Thierry of London on the other.

The single vellum leaf is painted on the recto with an allegory of marriage, the two figures in classical attire suggestive of Mars and Venus.

Fans with timepieces are uncommon, particularly those dating from the Eighteenth Century. It is believed that such fans were increasingly popular during the Nineteenth Century when they became known as 'watch fans'.
cf. Fendel, C. 'Novelty Hand Fans: Fashionable Functional Fun Accessories of the Past' (Korea: Palace Press, 2006)