Sage Green Silk Folding Fan with Bamboo Ribs

Belle Epoque · 1890s-1910s · French

This Belle Époque folding fan features a silk leaf mounted on bamboo ribs with natural wood guards. The sage green silk ground is decorated with delicate painted floral motifs in purple and white, likely violets or similar small blooms, arranged asymmetrically across the surface. The fan opens to a traditional semicircular shape with approximately sixteen to eighteen ribs creating the pleated structure. A silk tassel in coordinating green hangs from the pivot point. The painting technique appears to be hand-applied watercolor or gouache, demonstrating the refined decorative arts typical of French luxury accessories during this period when fans were essential elements of feminine formal dress.