Brisé fan

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is a classic example of a brisé fan, which is constructed of individual sticks held together with connecting ribbon or threads at the top. There is no leaf. The tortoiseshall pattern presents a strikiing visual effect when held to the light and moved back and forth. A special touch is the elaborate monogram on the guard.

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