Happy New Year!

Deburaux November auction with rare fan

The November auction of Deburaux Eventails XXIX, held at the last day of the Fan Festival on 20 November, had a rare masterpiece among its auction treasures: an ivory/paper fan of he beginning of the 17th century, usually attributed to Portuguese origin. This 400 year old fan is in a remarkably well state of conservation and shows very detailed, fine hunting scenes. Its estimation of EUR 15/20.000 was more than doubled with a final bid of EUR 50.000. Rumours have it that it will find its new home in the UK. See the catalogue for more information. (Photo: Deburaux).

Der "Reiz des Fremden" auf Schloss Wernigerode

Noch bis 23. Februar 2014 gibt es im Harz eine aussergewöhnliche Ausstellung zusehen: Uber 200 Fächer aus der Sammlung Ulrich Hoffmanns zeigen die Geschichte des Fächers "bei allen Völkern und zu allen Zeiten". darunter seltene Exemplare wie chinesische,silberne Filigranfächer oder japanische Gunsen, Kampffächer. Oder einfache Strohfächer, wie jener links abgebildet. Auf Schloss Wernigerode. Siehe auch Artikel in der Mitteldeutschen Zeitung.

Until 23 February 2014 visitors to the Harz have the unique opportunity to see more than 200 fans from the private collection of Ulrich Hoffmann. The exhibits focus on the fan "at all times and from all people" and include Chinese filigran fans or Japanese Gunsen war fans, as well as simple straw fans as the one here. A must for fan-fans.

Festival de l'eventail à Paris

From 16 to 20 November, the Fan Festival will take place in Paris, with a full programme of exhibition visits, meeting of members of the Cercle de l'Eventail and the Fan Circle Internationale, convivial lunches and dinners and the fan auction at Deburaux (see catalogue).

Le 2ème Festival de l'Eventail aura lieu du 16 au 20 novembre 2013 à Paris. Avec un programme plein des expositions et reunions entre "fan-fans", le dernier jours (le 20) offre une vente à l'enchëre chez Deburaux - competition garantie!

Das 2.  Fächerfestival findet vom 16. bis 20. November 2013 in Paris statt. Das Programm ladet Fächerfreunde weltweit ein, an Ausstellungen und gemeinsamen Verasntaltungen teilzunehmen. Der letzte Tag ist der Fächerauktion bei Deburaux gewidmet - wer ersteigert den schönsten Fächer?

Art Nouveau/Art Deco Biennale with Fan exhibition

The last weekend of the Art Nouveau/Art Deco Biennale on 26/27 October 2013 held a special treat for the visitors of the Hotel de Brouckère: The exhibition of Art Nouveau and Art Deco fans of the collection of Margaretha Mazura. During the 2 days, more than 400 visitors enjoyed the for many unknown beauty of fans. "People were surprised to see fans, they did not associate them with Art Nouveau or architecture. In making links to other arts - the photo of the Henry Van de Velde fan, from the Karlsruhe Museum for example- people got an idea that a fan is more than a simple fashion accessory" says M. Mazura. Clear favourites: the colourful Art Deco fans by artists such as Paul Iribe.

Ondine Pavy-Pluvinage of the Cercle de l'Eventail, Paris with mm at the exhibition

mm giving a private tour of the exhibition to HE Mag. Walter Grahammer, Austrian Ambassador to the EU in Brussels

Jugendstilabend der deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft Belgiens

Am 22. Oktober lud die deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft Belgiens zu einem Jugendstilabend ein, als Vorgeschmack auf das "Art Nouveau/Ar Deco" Wochende. Im passenden Ambiente des Van de Velde/Van Ruysselberge Hauses der Gemeinschaft, wurde den Zuhörern Einblick in Belgiens architektonischen Jugendstilreichtum geboten - untermalt mit Klaviermusik von Debussy und einer Auswahl der Jugenstil- und Art Deco Fächer, die am Wochenende zu sehen sein werden.

The German-speaking Community of Belgium (its smallest community, after French-speaking Walloon and Dutch-speaking Flanders) invited to an Art Nouveau Soirée, in anticipation of the Art Nouveau/Art Deco Biennale of the 26/27 October weekend. In its Brussels residence, a building designed by H. Van de Velde and architect Ruysselberge, the audience was initiated into Belgium Art Nouveau riches, accompanied by Debussy piano music - and a glimpse of the fan collection on display on the weekend.
[On the photo: "Gruppenbild mit Dame" - und vielen Fächern: right of Margaretha Mazura the Minister President of the German-speaking community, Mr. Karl-Heinz Lambertz, far right the Director of the Brussels office, Alexander Homann].

Art Nouveau & Art Deco fans in Brussels

On the occasion of the Art Nouveau/Art Deco Biennale, the last weekend of October 2013 will show the Art Nouveau and Art Deco fans of  Margaretha Mazura for the first time. The "Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft Belgiens" opens its Brussels residence "Hotel de Brouckere" for this purpose, a building co-designed by Henry Van de Velde who celebrates this year his 150th anniversary. The fans are put into relation to architecture and other applied arts, a typical postulate of Art Nouveau whose ambition was the "Gesamtkunstwerk" that penetrates all levels of daily life. Van de Velde himself designed at least one fan (in the collection of the Karlsruhe Museum) and held a conference on the fan in 1905 in Berlin. There, he predicts the decline of the use of the fan - a prophetic view despite of some highlights of advertising fans and ostrich feather fans throughout the twenties and thirties. More info: mm[at]e-accelerator.eu


Two-pager on Art Nouveau/Art Deco fans: Download here (15 MB)

Faksimile of the conference on the fan held by Henry Van de Velde 1905 in Berlin (Thanks to Thomas DeLeo for sending me the pdf!): Download here (6 MB)

Advertising fan by E. Gendrot for The Carlton Hotel, London

Book cover taking up the theme of a female head with hair entangled with flowers

Aldo Dente's Court Fans in Dozza

The collection of Aldo Dente consists (amongst many others) of authors' fans and fans from Europe's aristocracy. At Dozza, 100 of his fans were shown in 2013. The interview with Aldo "100 ventagli di corte d'autore" gives an interesting insight into his collection and the exhibition, amongst them fans once owned by Sisi, Empress of Austria and commemorative fans about Mascagni.



Aldo Dente with a handscreen made in Spa, Belgium

Detail of the fan of Margherita de Savoia that she used at her marriage with Umberto I in 1868, (c) A. Dente