Please help with mystery item

grandmascloset

grandmascloset

Alumni
I have this unusual item that I'm trying to identify. It's moire over a wooden stick. It is kind of like a fan but has a pouch in it. Any idea what it is or how it it is?
Thanks!

 
Hi,

It's probably a decorative item for the home, made by a lady of the house, such as a wall pocket or calling card holder, etc. I have a few Victorian era books on decorative arts and crafts and I see these shown and illustrated in those books quite often. That fan shape was popular in the 1880s and 1890's.

B
 
I think Jonathan's right: we need to know what size it is and I like catseye vintage's idea about the powder puff missing it's puff - but the size will determine which of these is likely to be correct.

N
 
Oops! Sorry I forgot to mention the size. I don't have it with me so I can't measure it right now but it is about the size of a pig pong paddle. The pouch itself is pretty tiny, it's behind the bow. The back that looks like cardboard is actually moire also.
 
Hi,

I have quite a few illustrations of this similar or even exact thing, as I mentioned above, so I am sticking to my guns on this one. These decorative home made items were used in various sizes as slipper cases, card holders, etc, made to hold a variety of household or vanity items, and either hung on a wall or tucked on a table. They were very popular and shown in decorative home arts books of the 1880's and 1890's.

On occasion I have seen fans with a pocket for a scented cotton ball tucked inside. Maybe you could scent the room while you cooled off!

I even have the directions on how to make these, with pictures shown in several 1880's era books.

Of course, I have been wrong before....

B
 
"On occasion I have seen fans with a pocket for a scented cotton ball tucked inside. Maybe you could scent the room while you cooled off! "

I wonder if, in that case, it wouldn't be more for coping with the smell of the humans in the room? A lack of deoderant, heavy garments, no A/C.....people were pretty ripe back then!

Ang
 
I have been thinking that the pouch was perhaps to tuck smelling salts in, because ladies were apparently so prone to fainting..... Maybe you kept one of these on a table in the parlor for such an occurrence?
 
Originally posted by vintagebaubles
I have been thinking that the pouch was perhaps to tuck smelling salts in, because ladies were apparently so prone to fainting..... Maybe you kept one of these on a table in the parlor for such an occurrence?
Click to expand...

Ooh! Good idea Anne!

Or maybe, they were for carriages for when your drove by smelly garbage :clueless:

This is kind of a fun mystery!! I'm intrigued :)
 
Gonna go with Barbara and Dorothea's Closet on this one- I believe it was a household decorative item that probably held scented something to help combat the inevitable stench of well-layered ladies in an era with less stringent hygienic practices.
 
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