#fan leaf

Come ye soft Sylphs, who fan the Paphian Groves, And bear on sportive wings the callow Loves...

A replica of "The Botanick Fan" issued by Sarah Ashton in 1792, folded and mounted by @thistlesandstories to accompany their regency outfits. You can see the comparison to the original on the first picture.

I digitalised the original fan leaf, which has been a rather challenging experience because my inattentive ass messed up with sizing. Nevertheless, it is a thing that exists due to our stubbornness and spite.

The original can be seen here - we also visited the V&A museum in London, and I wholeheartedly recommend it! However, this fan is not currently on display.

Note: I used a modernised way of spelling after discussing with @thistlesandstories who commissioned the digitalisation. I wanted to keep the educational value of the item intact. Some parts were illegible in the original as I had no chance to see the original in person, therefore I had to rely on the resident botanist's expertise.

The unmounted leaf:

Fan leaves.

1) Silk fan leaf (France, circa 1797). Cream satin printed by engraved plate in blue.

2) Fan leaf with musicians in landscape (circa 1760). Brush and gouache on vellum.

3) Fan leaf (late 18th century). Gouache-painted parchment.

4) Fan leaf (late 18th century). Painted paper.

5) Fan leaf (late 18th century). Painted paper.

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum