A MUGHAL EMPIRE (1526-1857) PARCEL GILT POLYCHROME AND DYED COTTON PANKHA HAND FAN, DECCAN, INDIA, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY, the center resist dyed with black, yellow, green, blue and red pigments, tendrils scroll profusely issuing flower varieties with male and female jewel colored parrots, within gilt ground small flowering bands of tendrils, centering a wide pale blue ground band of undulating lotus vines and blossoms, mounted and professionally set within a giltwood frame. Diameter: 20 3/8" Note: The lack of religious imagery suggests that this fan was likely made for secular use, and not court or temple use. Textiles like these often were manufactured for export bound for the European trade market, where late baroque and rococo tastes sought out far east, exotic, decadent designs, which is well represented here. Provenance: Property from a Fortune 500 Energy Company, Houston, Texas. Condition: An area of loss near center and bottom, fading of blue ground paint, losses of gilt, expected wear, but overall in good condition, wear commensurate with age and use. Simpson Galleries strongly encourages in-person inspection of items by the bidder. Statements by Simpson Galleries regarding the condition of objects are for guidance only and should not be relied upon as statements of fact and do not constitute a representation, warranty, or assumption of liability by Simpson Galleries. All lots offered are sold "AS IS.”