Collapsing patriotic cigar fan with flag motif, made in Japan for the American market from crepe paper and cardboard during the 1905 – 1920’s era. These were likely sold and/or handed out by politicians at political rallies and other patriotic events. They came in a variety of styles and this example is among the smallest.
One specifically identified function for at least some cigar fans was as Crackerjack toys. One appears in a 1909 promotional poster released to advertise Crackerjack with various premiums.
Mounting: The fan has been hand-stitched to 100% cotton, black in color, which was washed to reduce excess dye. An acid-free agent was added to the wash to further set the dye and the fabric was heat-treated for the same purpose. The mount was then placed in a black-painted and hand-gilded Italian molding, to which a modern black molding with red undertones was added as a liner. A shadow box was created to keep the object away from the glass, which is U.V. protective.
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