Folding fans with lace leaves were popular in Europe and the United States from the early 18th to the early 20th century, and are now a specialist collecting field in their own right. Prior to the late 18th century all such fans were produced from hand-woven lace – either 'needlelace' or 'Bobbin' lace, with the best examples being woven from fine flaxen thread or silk, rather than coarser woollen or cotton yarns.
T
he leading centers of lace production were the Netherlands (Brussels, Mechlin and Antwerp); Italy (Venice, Genoa and Milan); France (Alencon, Argenton, Paris and Chantilly); England (Honiton); Spain; Portugal; and, in the United States, Ipswich, Massachusetts.
The high cost of making hand-woven lace ensured such fans were essentially the preserve of the wealthy. However, the introduction of cheaper machine-woven lace (commonly referred to as 'Swiss' or 'Nottingham' lace after the major centers of production) from the late 18th century onward provided a more affordable alternative for the less affluent.
Given the inherent delicacy of the fabric, 18th-century lace fans in good condition are relatively thin on the ground, and much sought-after. Not surprisingly, far more hand- and machine-woven lace fans have survived from the mid-19th century onward.
