Pair of Antique Victorian Era Ostrich Feather Fans

Ostrich Feather Fans were extremely popular with American women from the mid to late 1800s through the turn of the century. These fashionable accessories were readily available in department stores and could be found made in a variety of colors, materials and styles.

Here is an antique pair of late-Victorian era ostrich feather fans. The curly ostrich feathers are held on painted wooden staves that decorated with silver-colored floral etchings and designs. The bottom of each fan has a metal loop that holds the staves together.

The ivory-colored fan is in excellent shape for its age. The feathers are all in decent condition and connected well to the staves. There is a little bit of spotting and discoloration but it doesn't detract from its beauty!

The other fan has blue-dyed ostrich feathers that are interspersed with sections of blue lacy material. Sadly, while still beautiful, the blue fan is deteriorating quite badly. The feathers are missing from the lefthand-most stave and they tend to shed quite a bit when disturbed. One of the staves is broken. See photos. There is a fair amount of spotting and discoloration. It could still make an elegant display piece, however, if laid out carefully.

The ivory fan is 14" wide when open and about 11" tall. The blue fan is roughly 15" wide when open and 13" tall.

This is a beautiful pair of fans and would display well in some sort of protected display case or frame.  A nice addition to any Victorian collection!