M.358-1985 The Messel feather fan, English or Dutch, 17th century (to view other side see...

formerly in the Messel-Rosse Collection; Woven gut panels mounted on concealed frames, decorated with feathers of the purple-breasted cotinga (cotinga amabilis) and other birds; stick of turned wood. The fan is composed of five separate sections of drawn thread work on concealed frames. The frames are covered with feathers in bands of different colours and there is a border to each section of more feathers. The central scenes of flowers and birds are composed of feathers and stitched into place on applied fabric grounds and are different on each side. The whole is mounted on a turned, wooden handle. The leaf probably made in Central or South America; the handle is probably made in Europe