diff --git a/galleries/examples/misc/ftface_props.py b/galleries/examples/misc/ftface_props.py
index 8306e142c144..ec26dff5bf6a 100644
--- a/galleries/examples/misc/ftface_props.py
+++ b/galleries/examples/misc/ftface_props.py
@@ -18,12 +18,13 @@
     os.path.join(matplotlib.get_data_path(),
                  'fonts/ttf/DejaVuSans-Oblique.ttf'))
 
-print('Num faces:  ', font.num_faces)        # number of faces in file
-print('Num glyphs: ', font.num_glyphs)       # number of glyphs in the face
-print('Family name:', font.family_name)      # face family name
-print('Style name: ', font.style_name)       # face style name
-print('PS name:    ', font.postscript_name)  # the postscript name
-print('Num fixed:  ', font.num_fixed_sizes)  # number of embedded bitmaps
+print('Num instances:  ', font.num_named_instances)  # number of named instances in file
+print('Num faces:      ', font.num_faces)            # number of faces in file
+print('Num glyphs:     ', font.num_glyphs)           # number of glyphs in the face
+print('Family name:    ', font.family_name)          # face family name
+print('Style name:     ', font.style_name)           # face style name
+print('PS name:        ', font.postscript_name)      # the postscript name
+print('Num fixed:      ', font.num_fixed_sizes)      # number of embedded bitmaps
 
 # the following are only available if face.scalable
 if font.scalable:
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/ft2font.pyi b/lib/matplotlib/ft2font.pyi
index 811f82f95963..37281afeaafa 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/ft2font.pyi
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/ft2font.pyi
@@ -265,6 +265,8 @@ class FT2Font(Buffer):
     @property
     def num_glyphs(self) -> int: ...
     @property
+    def num_named_instances(self) -> int: ...
+    @property
     def postscript_name(self) -> str: ...
     @property
     def scalable(self) -> bool: ...
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ft2font.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ft2font.py
index 7dc851b2c9cf..6ba23bab347e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ft2font.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ft2font.py
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ def test_ft2font_dejavu_attrs():
     assert font.family_name == 'DejaVu Sans'
     assert font.style_name == 'Book'
     assert font.num_faces == 1  # Single TTF.
+    assert font.num_named_instances == 0  # Not a variable font.
     assert font.num_glyphs == 6241  # From compact encoding view in FontForge.
     assert font.num_fixed_sizes == 0  # All glyphs are scalable.
     assert font.num_charmaps == 5
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ def test_ft2font_cm_attrs():
     assert font.family_name == 'cmtt10'
     assert font.style_name == 'Regular'
     assert font.num_faces == 1  # Single TTF.
+    assert font.num_named_instances == 0  # Not a variable font.
     assert font.num_glyphs == 133  # From compact encoding view in FontForge.
     assert font.num_fixed_sizes == 0  # All glyphs are scalable.
     assert font.num_charmaps == 2
@@ -105,6 +107,7 @@ def test_ft2font_stix_bold_attrs():
     assert font.family_name == 'STIXSizeTwoSym'
     assert font.style_name == 'Bold'
     assert font.num_faces == 1  # Single TTF.
+    assert font.num_named_instances == 0  # Not a variable font.
     assert font.num_glyphs == 20  # From compact encoding view in FontForge.
     assert font.num_fixed_sizes == 0  # All glyphs are scalable.
     assert font.num_charmaps == 3
diff --git a/src/ft2font_wrapper.cpp b/src/ft2font_wrapper.cpp
index 7e1b3948a00e..9b54721810d6 100644
--- a/src/ft2font_wrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/ft2font_wrapper.cpp
@@ -1475,7 +1475,13 @@ PyFT2Font_face_flags(PyFT2Font *self)
 static StyleFlags
 PyFT2Font_style_flags(PyFT2Font *self)
 {
-    return static_cast<StyleFlags>(self->x->get_face()->style_flags);
+    return static_cast<StyleFlags>(self->x->get_face()->style_flags & 0xffff);
+}
+
+static FT_Long
+PyFT2Font_num_named_instances(PyFT2Font *self)
+{
+    return (self->x->get_face()->style_flags & 0x7fff0000) >> 16;
 }
 
 static FT_Long
@@ -1766,6 +1772,8 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(ft2font, m, py::mod_gil_not_used())
                                "Face flags; see `.FaceFlags`.")
         .def_property_readonly("style_flags", &PyFT2Font_style_flags,
                                "Style flags; see `.StyleFlags`.")
+        .def_property_readonly("num_named_instances", &PyFT2Font_num_named_instances,
+                               "Number of named instances in the face.")
         .def_property_readonly("num_glyphs", &PyFT2Font_num_glyphs,
                                "Number of glyphs in the face.")
         .def_property_readonly("num_fixed_sizes", &PyFT2Font_num_fixed_sizes,