Design - fan

The fan designed for the Alenon needle lace technique, exploits all the possibilities of this detailed, refined technique. It depicts a dream garden. The surface is divided into six fields by four phlox stems. The top border of the fan is created of large floral blossoms that contain smaller flowers. At the bottom, the flower stems are joined by a three-fold fence, with a mallow bush appearing between them. In the centre, there is a bird couple sitting on the fence, nipping at the buds above their heads. Butterflies fly among the flowers. The designer could perfectly unite the fantasy plant and animal world and delicate lines of Art Nouveau with surface decoration. The decorative motifs of the fan are shaped from a tiny hexagonal needle lace network, combined with other lace stitches only between the flower blossoms and right above the ground. The wings of the butterflies, the feathers of the birds and the veins of the leaves are enriched with stylized, geometrical motifs. Similar compositions could be seen on lace fans after the turn of the century, especially in Austria and France. This fan design won a silver medal at the 1898 British National Competition.