DO YOU FANCY A FLUTTER?
Private collection of historic fans set to go under hammer
ARTHUR Blackborne (1856-1952) and his father Anthony (18241878) before him are best known for assembling one of the largest and finest collections of antique lace ever known. Dealers with a shop in fashionable Mayfair, they held a Royal Warrant from 1863-1912, supplying both Alexandra, Princess of Wales and later the Queen.
Much of what they sold was modern lace, but they also uncovered antique lace for re-sale such as 17th century Italian chasuble – a sleeveless garment like a choirboy’s surplice worn by a priest when celebrating Mass – which they sold to the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1870. The price: a princely £100.
In 2006, the Blackborne family donated the collection to the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, County Durham. Among the 7,000 pieces that arrived unsorted in various trunks, was a needle lace collar, possibly worn by King Charles I of England. It, or one strikingly like it, can be seen in the famous triple portrait of the king painted by Anthony van Dyck, now in the Royal Collection.
The Blackborne Collection subsequently earned recognition as one of the most important in the world, but there’s more and little of it has been seen since the closure of the shop in 1952.
In addition to collecting lace, Arthur also collected other antique textiles such as tapestries and brocades, and notably 18th and 19th century fans. Held in the family collection, none of the latter has been on the market since his death… until now.
On May 23, North Yorkshire fine art auctioneers will stage the first of two sales to disperse more than 400 of the unique fashion items. The sale is being held on behalf of Arthur’s descendants, with the second planned for July 25.
Many of the fans are very rare. The collection consists primarily of 18th century examples decorated with biblical and mythological scenes, many of which depict subjects rarely found on fans.
Chinese fans are represented with examples made of tortoiseshell, wood and lacquer and decorated with unusual scenes and exquisite details such as fish, toads and beetles.
Some of the 19th century fans come with significant provenance having been purchased at auction in 1942 from the Christie’s sale of the contents of Bagshot Park, Surrey. They were once in the collection of Prince Arthur, the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, who died at Bagshot in 1942.
The sale includes the author’s original proof copy of The History of the Fan by G. Woolliscroft Rhead (1855-1920), published in 1910.
Among its pages littered with marginal notes are letters from Kensington, Buckingham and St James’s Palaces, together with others from the society ladies who lent their own fans to Woolliscroft Rhead for inclusion in his book.
Interestingly, number 100 from a limited edition of 450 copies of the book is in the Royal Collection. If you’re reading this, Your Majesty, allow me to suggest it might be prudent to acquire the author’s proof copy. It is estimated at £300-600.
Wooliscroft Rhead was a prolific writer. Among his published works are The Principles of Design; A Handbook of Etching; The Treatment of Drapery in Art; Studies in Plant Form; Chats on Costume and perhaps most importantly for today’s ceramics collectors, joint author of Staffordshire Pots and Potters and British Pottery Marks.
Tennants’ Part 1 sale is on view on Tuesday May 22 from 10am-4pm and on the morning of the following day’s sale from 8.30am. Further information, telephone 01969 623780.