Plighting Their Troth

Fan with carved and pierced ivory sticks and mother of pearl plaques.
The guards are richly carved with naturalistic flowers and Renaissance ornaments.

Double canepin leaf painted on the recto with a theatrical scene, two principal figures seemingly pledging allegiance to one another.
The verso is painted with an ornate double border, signed Alexandre.

Box stamped inside the lid: 'Alexandre Eventailliste de leurs Majesté l'Impératrice des Francais, l'Impératrice de Russie, la Reine d'Angleterre, la Reine d'Espagne. 14, Boulevard Montmatre, Paris'

Alexandre, Félix (Born 1823) French designer and painter, who rose to fame during the 1850s to become fan-maker to Empress Eugenie, the Queen of the Netherlands and Queen Victoria.