Fan

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

18th century fans have a sense of authenticity to them because they often depict contemporaneous life. The depiction of the costumes is detailed, and overall quality of the painting is refined, with a nuanced color palette. In the 19th century, good copies were made, and are sometimes difficult to distinguish. One interesting way to identify the 18th century fans, though, is by the color of the hair, which appears powdered gray rather than a natural color, which was the authentic style of the time, a nuance that the Victorians did not adopt in their copies. This fan is part of a large collection belonging to a Spanish Colonial family.

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