A Colonial Merchant: The Ledger of William Ramsay

Alexandria, VA 1753-1756

Artifact: Folding fan

Ivory Fan

Materials: Ivory sticks, mother-of-pearl button

Dimensions: Length of guard: 11 1/2 in.; Spread: 21 in.

Date: 1760

Origin: England

Collection: LACMA

License: Public Domain

Ledger Entry: Ivory Fan

Ivory Fan

Department: Accessories

Customer: Captain Lewis Ellzey

Ledger Page: 30

Imported From:

Product Description

Originally an East Asian invention, the folding fan was an important accessory for both upper and middle classes. While quite handy for cooling off in a heated ballroom, fans could also be printed with riddles, maps, dance steps – the ideal conversation piece. Finished fans could have European or Asian designs, or be made up of only carved sticks. Making a fan could also be a global effort. Fan sticks of ivory were often imported from China to Europe, where master craftsmen decorated them. Variety in material and design gave Early Americans a lot of choice.

Citation: Linda Baumgarten. What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal America (New Haven: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in association with Yale University Press, 2002), 45.;

Historical Price: 3 shillings, 10 pence; Modern USD: $43

Product Variations

The databases record five fans ranging from six pence for an unspecified fan to four shillings six pence for an ivory form fan.