'Clovis and Clotilde'. An ivory fan, French, circa 1720

the paper leaf painted with the marriage of Clovis and Clotilde, first king and queen of the Franks, in a statue-filled palace, the reverse with shepherds in a riverscape, the ivory guards and sticks painted with chinoiseries, tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl pivot, in a later cream silk case

overall good condition and fine painting. Some minor wear and tears along edges and folds, one tiny section of leaf missing at central section so stick can be visible, some minor spots of painting to sticks missing, chips to one mother of pearl pivot.
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The Merovingian Clovis I, born in 465, was the first Frankish king. He united the scattered tribes of Gaul under one ruler and built up the empire which would later become the base for Charlemagne. In 492 Clovis married Clotilde, a princess of the kingdom of Burgundy, who convinced her husband to convert to her Christian faith. During the battle of Tolbiac in 496, the king prayed to the Christian god and promised to be baptised if his army was able to defeat the Alemanni. Having won the battle, Clovis I kept his word and converted from Arianism to Christianity, and with him his whole Empire, further unified by one shared faith.