Artwork
Wedding Fan Showing Flower Garland and Flying Pigeons, with Case
Wedding Fan Showing Flower Garland and Flying Pigeons, with Case is a gouache painting by the Japonisme artist Unknown. It dates from 1866 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Technique & Style
The object exhibits brownish perfume stains resulting from the bridal tradition of drenching wedding fans, a condition directly linked to its ceremonial use.
Created in 1866 by Alexandre in France, this wedding fan combines ivory, nacre, and pearls with silk and velvet elements. The decorative surface features gouache paint depicting flying pigeons and flower garlands. The object exhibits brownish perfume stains resulting from the bridal tradition of drenching wedding fans, a condition directly linked to its ceremonial use. The work is currently classified as a painting within its broader material composition.
History & Provenance
The wedding fan was crafted in 1866 by the French artisan Alexandre, using ivory, nacre, silk, pearl, velvet, and gouache paint; it retains brownish perfume stains from the bridal tradition of drenching such fans. It entered the collection of Empress Maria Feodorovna and is now housed in the Hermitage Museum, where it was featured in the exhibition “Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court.”
Context
The fan was created in 1866 by Alexandre and is part of the Hermitage Museum's collection, owned originally by Maria Feodorovna of Denmark. It features pearl and silk elements adorned with garland motifs and flying pigeons, reflecting bridal customs that included perfume staining. The work has been displayed in exhibitions such as "Jewels!
The Glitter of the Russian Court," highlighting its significance within Russian imperial material culture and 19th-century decorative arts scholarship.
Overview
The object is a white fan crafted from a material identified as pearl, featuring a lace‑like motif of tiny floral forms and stylized pigeons. It is displayed within a glass case alongside a mannequin dressed in a sheer, long wedding gown with elaborate lace detailing, set on a polished stone floor under soft illumination.
Subject & Meaning
The fan’s decorative program, flowers and birds, evokes traditional wedding symbolism, where blossoms represent fertility and pigeons signify marital fidelity. Positioned with a bridal garment, the ensemble suggests a ceremonial context, likely intended as a nuptial accessory or a decorative element associated with wedding rites.
Artist & collection
