Victorian Fan Handle

Intricate, delicate and rare!

These earrings are made from a section of a very fine fan I discovered somewhere a long time ago, which I thought was very special; so I decided to create a small group of earrings from the parts I had

These earrings need to be handled with care

This section is from the handle and measures 65 x 14mm and the original sequence number can be seen on the back

The lustrous lining in seashells became so highly prized it was harvested throughout the world for centuries

India and China have a long history with mother of pearl, its seas once rich in pearl oysters. Mother of pearl reached its height in the 19th century and all manner of items featured the material, including buttons, inkwells, snuff boxes, fans and card cases

 Production became so intense that thousands of tons of mother of pearl were harvested and transported around the world. 

Victorian hand Fans were a frequent accessory, including Brise fans, whose sticks of thin carved MOP , ivory or wood, were linked together with ribbons, extended to form the whole fan

Nowadays, it is widely believed that in Victorian times fans were used – much like gloves or parasols – for relaying secret messages. Drawing the fan across the cheek supposedly meant ‘I love you’, while twirling it in the left hand signalised ‘We are watched’ and dropping it was a suggestion to just be friends.