Brisé fan

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Fans such as this are known as "Vernis Martin" because the Martin family developed a varnish for furnishing objects in the early 18th century and became known for that invention. Varnish was subsequently used on European-made fans to imitate Chinese lacquer. As there is no documentation that the Martin family ever made fans, the association with the family may be unfounded.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.

Metropolitan Museum of Art