The Crown of Immortality: A Fine Late 18th Century Ivory Fan, with an unusual subject. The monture, carved, pierced and lightly gilded, has an oriental figure to the upper guard, carvings of birds and colourful floral painting to the gorge. The double paper leaf shows a mythological couple, probably Bacchus and Ariadne, seated at a table with refreshments including wine, offered from a large ewer by a serving girl. A gold chariot to the right of the scene is tended by a winged cherub with spotted leopards or dogs feasting on bunches of dark grapes. To the left, two female attendants with further supplies of wine are pointing to the canopy over the head of the table. Here, against the dark lilac velvet, can be seen a crown of stars, deemed to be the Crown of Immortality. The verso is painted with a gentle depiction of a young couple, the gentleman playing music to his lady.

Guard length 11.5 inches or 29.5cm

 

The crown of stars, representing immortality, may derive from the story of an unhappy Ariadne, who was turned into a constellation of stars. See the Ovid. In Titian's Bacchus and Adriade in the National Gallery, the constellation is shown above Ariadne's head as a circle of 8 stars. This is considered as perhaps the earliest depiction of the crown of stars.