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Incredible 1801-dated Thomas Jefferson Inaugural

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Historical Memorabilia Start Price:7,500.00 USD Estimated At:12,000.00 - 18,000.00 USD
Incredible 1801-dated Thomas Jefferson Inaugural
<B>Incredible 1801-dated Thomas Jefferson Inaugural Fan</B></I> One of the very best presidential/political display pieces we have ever handled! Full-color portrait of Jefferson in his prime, with "President of the United States of America in 1801" (in French) below. Like all quality manufactured goods of this era, this fan was manufactured in Europe for the American market. Jefferson was still a very popular figure in France, where he had long served as U.S. diplomatic representative, particularly because he was among the strongest American supporters of the French Revolution. This delicate fan is made of heavy paper with ornate openwork ivory stays. There is a silvered metal outer edge, inside which is sewn a line of tiny shiny sequins. A similar circle of sequins also surrounds Jefferson's portrait. Condition is very fine, with just a little bit of light, even, surface soiling radiating out from the stays in the lower portion, so even that it looks like natural shading (probably cleanable if one felt the need, but we certainly do not). Only one other example is known, ensconced in perhaps the finest private political collection. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the most discerning collector, at a valuation scarcely above that normally placed on the relatively available Jefferson Liverpool ceramic pitchers! 17" x 9.75" when displayed open. Lot:255