L'éventail sert à voir sans être vue.

A entendre sans paraître écouter 

                  A agiter sans remuer, à punir sans décourager. 

         Et puis la Donna prouve par l'éventail 

                     Qu'il peux exister quelque chose de plus mobile   

                                                                                                       Qu'elle - même....    

                                                                                                       Un moraliste par contrainte.

         A. Rambaud

Eventail DUVELLEROY - Exclusive creation - gift of my husband - 2011

WELCOME TO MY WEBSITE!

This is not meant to be an educational site, there are plenty of books on the subject should you wish to study fans in depth, and develop your knowledge.

My intention is rather to provide for you a pleasant interlude, a relaxing insight into Art, History, and Beauty as provided by the Fan.

A friend of mine once asked to me why we become collectors, and why fans in particular... I think there are so many reasons, and that they vary according to one's taste, interests and lifestyle.

Some of us are obsessive collectors, who have a sort of possess mania, a neurosis which never abates, but has no reason; so we leave sight of the real essence of what we acquire; there are collectors who are inspired by the yearning of knowledge; there is collecting for commercial issues and there is... love: for history, art, life, truth.

Looking at a fan for hours, willing it to speak to you and tell you its secrets...and spending time on serious study, comparing styles and relating them to the historical, political, literary events of that time...

The Fan is an allegorical representation of life: it opens, it has a beginning, an ascending curve, a climax, a descending curve, an end. It closes.

On close examinations, the whole of life is there before our eyes! Looking at fans through a lens, we see so much depicted, life in every shape and form...and then the details, the signatures, dates, writings, spots, additions, repairs, modifications to suit the user...

No other accessory contains so much completeness.

Love for art and beauty has accompanied all my life, from my childhood. I started collecting almost by chance (now I own ca. 450 examples).For me, Fans represent  the eternal feminity, and mistery. The enchantment of their disclosing lets me think to the life of their previous users and wonder what their life was like. So, for me, the value in my collection is not just investment. I love each one for different reasons. I do not restrict myself to buying only rare and perfect fans, quite the opposite, and you will see this by browsing through my pages. Enjoy them too! 

I would like to thank my husband for his devotion an help in making all this possible.

Anna Checcoli (Member of FANA - Fan Association of North America and of the Cercle de l'Eventail)

A special mention goes to "GL'ORAFI" Leonardo and Simone, masters in Florence, who have worked with patience and craft on the precious metals of some fans of mine, realizing top-level restorations.