This fan appeared at the Walker sale in 1882, when it was acquired by the late Baroness Burdett-Coutts. Spangles appeared about the middle of the century, following the fashion of France. These served as borderings to subject medallions, and emphasised the leading lines of the design. A characteristic fan of this period, 1750-1780, has either one or three medallions or cartouches, of pastoral or other subjects, with graceful figures reminiscent of Gainsborough, Hoppner, and other masters of the English school. These figure medallions were usually supplemented by smaller ones of musical or other trophies, dainty flowers, festoons, and borders, the mount being usually silk. The sticks of these fans were narrow, the number varying from fourteen to sixteen, including the panaches, the latter delicately carved _à jour_. The material was generally ivory, but occasionally mother-of-pearl. The brins were perfectly straight and flat in the shoulder portion, but invariably richly decorated with embossed gold and silver work, this often taking the form of a cartouche extending over six or eight of the sticks, spangles also being freely used. It would be difficult to discover a more perfect example of this class of fan, so peculiarly English in type, than the one exhibited at South Kensington in 1870 by the Baroness Meyer de Rothschild. In this the centre medallion represents a lady carrying a lap-dog, visiting a friend who is seated at an embroidery frame; on the inferior panels, a girl playing with a dove, and a boy with a bird-cage and a tethered bird. The mount is silk, with spangled borderings, the stick ivory, finely carved _à jour_, decorated in variegated gold; jewelled stud. (Illustrated facing p. 180.) A number of fans were painted by Poggi, who was publishing engraved fans at this period, and whose fans enjoyed a high reputation. We find the following entry in Madame D’Arblay’s Journal for March 1781:— ‘Tuesday.—I passed the whole day at Sir Joshua Reynolds’s with Miss Palmer, who, in the morning, took me to see some beautiful fans painted by Poggi, from designs of Sir Joshua, Angelica, West, and Cipriani, on leather. They are, indeed, more delightful than can well be imagined; one was bespoke by the Duchess of Devonshire, for a present to some woman of rank in France, that was to cost £30.’ [Illustration: Antony and Cleopatra, Dutch, end of 17th cent. stick ivory later date, 18-1/2 × 10-3/4 Miss Moss.] [Illustration: An Embarcation, (pen & ink.) reverse, a dance of Peasants, stick ivory, finely pierced & carved, Dutch, late 17th. Cent. M. J. Duvelleroy.] In the catalogue of drawings, etc., the property of Mr. Poggi, sold by auction by Messrs. Christie and Ansell at their Great Room, next Cumberland House, Pall Mall, on Wednesday, June the 19th, 1782, and two following days. Second Day’s Sale:— ‘DRAWINGS OF FANS 99. Hope nursing Love, by Mr. Poggi. 100. A Nymph nursing the Genius of Love, by ditto.