Fan

Unknown

1900–1910 · mother-of-pearl, feather, metal · Costume Institute

The owner of this fan, Mary Flagler Cary, was the granddaughter of Henry Morrison Flagler, co-founder of Standard Oil and Florida East Coast Railroad; her sister, Jean Flagler Matthews, founded the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida. Ostrich feather fans were essential accessories to evening wear in the early twentieth century. This one is made of the finest quality materials and exceptional construction. The "corsage" or cluster arrangement of the feathers on the outside guard is an additional decorative flourish which sets it above the norm.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1900–1910

Medium

mother-of-pearl, feather, metal

Culture

probably French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of the trustees of Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, 1969