Fan leaf made of paper or leather, applied to a panel, painted with an erupting volcano (possibly Vesuvius, which experienced several violent and frequent eruptions from 1631 onwards, in 1660, 1682, 1694, 1698, 1707, etc.) accompanied by the motto “The cause is hidden.”

Good condition.

16 x 42.5 cm

The taste for mottos developed strongly among the aristocracy in the 17th century. Associated with an image, the motto was a fashionable form of entertainment at court that shed light on the personality of its author.

Here, the volcano and the motto may suggest a passionate love affair.

A similar one can be found in the motto room at the Château de Bussy-Rabutin.