The Bird of Paradise

Feather fan with mother of pearl (goldfish) sticks.

The application of feathers to the manufacture of fans reached a zenith during the late Nineteenth Century and onwards into the first decades of the subsequent century. Numerous fans from this period incorporate the plumage, and in some instances, fully-reconstituted forms of hummingbirds, kingfishers, eagles, ostriches and even Birds of Paradise.
Feathers were used not only to fashion fans of great artistry and expense– the type more commonly associated with court debutantes and society belles, but also to create affordable fans – models that appealed to women with less disposable income but equally lofty sartorial aspirations.