Maignan (1940-2019) was heir to the famous Duvelleroy firm, one of the few French fan manufacturers still active today.
In 1985 he became a founding member of the Cercle d’Evantail (French fan circle) and built up an extensive and wide-ranging collection of fans from all over the world.
The two-day sale runs to almost 400 lots. They date back to a rare Venetian flag form fan from the first quarter of the 16th century up to modern examples and estimates range from a few hundred euros up to five figures.
Pictured here is a late 19th century signed and dedicated example with a paper leaf and mother of pearl sticks. It is painted in gouache by Georges Clairin with a scene of a young woman feeding swans and has an inscription à Madame Mathey, souvenir de son tout dévoué ami and is signed and dated G Clairin 1885. The guardstick is inset with the initials FMe.
The estimate is €4000-5000.
