This is a folding fan. It is made with a pleated, decorated leaf attached to a set of delicate ivory sticks. A fan was an essential accessory in the formal dress of a wealthy woman. Although its original function was to cool the face, the fan soon became an important tool in non-verbal communication. The manner in which a lady held and moved her fan conveyed her feelings toward those around her. The fan is made from a wide range of materials and techniques, from painting to appliqué work, dyeing and drawing. Depicted are a range of images of idealized rural life: figures harvesting corn and fishing are interspersed with colourful images of exotic birds, insects and flowers. Gilt sequins are used as decorative elements to divide the scenes into sections. The fan maker has imaginatively used shiny and coloured materials such as dyed straw, feathers and mother of pearl to give added vibrancy which would no doubt catch the candlelight. It has been suggested that pastoral images often found on fans were visions of escape to the countryside for wealthy people adapted by fan painters from the art and literature popular at the time.