A COLLECTION of more than 400 antique fans, belonging to the descendants of one of the most well-known collectors of antique lace, are to be sold at auction.

The array of mainly 18th century fans includes many rare items decorated with unusual Biblical and Mythological scenes.

They include a double paper fan depicting Cupid being presented with fruit by young women hoping for love and includes symbols, hearts and numbers believed to be a period puzzle which is expected to fetch as much as £800.

Other items in the collection include Chinese fans made of tortoiseshell, wood and lacquer and decorated with unusual scenes and tiny details such as fish, toads and beetles.

The collection belonged to Arthur Blackborne, who lived between 1856 and 1952 and is being sold by Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn.

He was known for assembling one of the largest and finest collections of antique lace ever known. The collection was started by his father, Anthony, who opened the family lace shop in Mayfair in 1850, selling to high society as well as to major European and American collectors.

They donated nearly 7,000 pieces of historic lace to The Bowes Museum, County Durham in 2007. In addition to collecting lace, Arthur Blackborne also collected other antique textiles such as tapestries and brocades, as well as fans.

Some of the collection due to be auctioned off came from fans once belonging to HRH Prince Arthur, the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn who died at Bagshot Park in 1942.

The historical fashion accessories have been held in the family collection since the closure of the Blackborne’s London shop in 1952 and this will be the first time they have been on the market since Arthur’s death.

The collection will be sold by Tennants in two parts, on May 23 and July 25.

Also on offer is the author’s original proof copy of The History of the Fan by G. Woolliscroft Rhead published in 1910. The book is offered complete with marginal notes and numerous letters pasted inside from the Society ladies who lent their own fans to Woolliscroft Rhead for publication. Included are letters from Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace, a St James’s Palace.

For further information visit; tennants.co.uk