Pleated Fan (Italy), late 18th–early 19th century

Pleated fan. Parchment leaf gilded and painted in watercolors. Obverse: birth scene in woodland setting with mother reclining on couch while the child is washed and attended by maidens. At right, river gods. Reverse: a central cartouche portrays Venus and Cupid in a landscape setting. Carved and gilt mother-of-pearl sticks with gold and silver foil. At center, two couples sitting beneath an arcade, surrounded by putti and scrolls.