Folding Cabriolet Fan with Scene of Figures in a Courtyard Garden

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Cabriolet fans like this one are distinguished by their multiple leaves, divided by arcs of exposed sticks. Set one above the other, they suggest the spoked wheels of "cabriolet" style horse drawn carriages. This fan is a lovely example of Chinese work, its painted leaves colorfully evoking a scene at the imperial court- a popular type produced specifically for the European export market.

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The fifty thousand objects in the Museum's comprehensive and historically important collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The holdings include sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles. Ceramics made in Asia for export to European markets and sculpture and decorative arts produced in Latin America during this period are also included among these works.

Metropolitan Museum of Art