Vouwwaaier met leren blad, waarop met gouache Pan en de Naiaden is geschilderd, op een schildpad montuur c. 1650 - 1699

This is a folding fan made with gouache on a leather leaf and a turtle shell mount, created by Jean Lepautre in the 17th century. Lepautre, working in a time where mythological scenes were exceedingly popular, presents Pan and the Naiads. In this period, the decorative arts were extensions of power and wealth. But this fan is more than a mere display of status; it invites us to consider the narratives it carries. The story of Pan, a figure often associated with untamed nature, and the nymphs, who represent the beauty and danger of the natural world, becomes a personal, portable statement. What does it mean to carry such a scene, filled with classical allusions and sensual undertones, in one's hand? The fan, then, is not just an object, but a medium through which the carrier engages with themes of nature, desire, and identity.