FAN depicting the Meeting of Eliezer and Rebekah... Lot 40

FAN depicting the Meeting of Eliezer and Rebekah at the Well Third quarter of the 18th century Gouache-painted skin, partially gilded ivory H. 15 cm, W. 29 cm Provenance Private collection, Paris This ivory-mounted fan presents beautiful gouache-painted scenes on the theme of Love, Dalliance and Marriage. The main side of the leaf is decorated on the flesh side. It shows two groups of figures in a landscape depicting the story of the meeting of Eliezer and Rebekah at a well near the town of Nahor (Gen. 24:15-27). Eliezer and his camels approach a well where Rebekah gives him a drink. In return, he gives her ornaments represented here by a pearl necklace. And he marries her. The religious meaning of this biblical story, which in the Christian tradition prefigures the Annunciation, has given way to the motif of matrimonial union, as suggested by the oriental couple cut out of the gilded frame and the gallant scene painted on the reverse. The Faith, symbol of the Union by the representation of the joined hands, and the arrows of Cupid which decorate the medallions suspended on both sides of the Meeting at the well carry high the amorous symbolism of our fan and its decoration. A further information given by the collector is accessible by QR Code in the PDF.