▪️Japanese Screen
Japanese screens, called "Byobu" (folding screens), can still be found in some old houses in rural areas in modern Japan. In the past, screens were a part of daily life in Japan, but nowadays they are used only for golden screens for weddings and decorations for Hina dolls.
However, folding screens seen at art exhibitions fascinate us with their beauty and grandeur. Folding screens are not only daily necessities but also representative Japanese works of art. Let's take a look at the history of Byobu and discover its profound world.
The history of Byobu dates back as far as the Han Dynasty in China, when it was first used as a tool to ward off the wind, and later transformed into a luxurious ornament for the royal family.
▪️The Word "Byobu" Appears in the Chronicles of Japan
In Japan, the first written mention of a folding screen is found in the "Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan)" of the Nara period (710-794).
Along with gold, silver, silk, and medicine, byobu were among the gifts from overseas. This is the first mention of the word byobu in Japanese history. Although it is not known what kind of artwork these folding screens were, they were later modeled after them in Japan.
Among the surviving examples, the "Torige Tachi-onna Byobu" made in the 8th century is kept in the Shosoin Repository.
Only a few Byobu from the Heian and Kamakura periods are known to exist, but by the Muromachi period (1333-1573), many ink paintings and screens with extreme colors were produced, and the modern form of Byobu-e was formed and developed.
Later, they were also prized as export items and used as gifts to foreign countries.
From the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the Edo period (1603-1867), many gorgeous folding screens were made with extravagant gold-plated designs.
▪️Heian Period Folding Screens
Folding screens were used in many picture scrolls that flourished during the Heian period (794-1185).
In "The Tale of Genji Picture Scroll," a folding screen is used to separate the room from the sickbed in the scene where the ill Kashiwagi bids farewell to his childhood friend Yugiri. In this way, the folding screen was used as a partition or a windbreak.
In the "Honen Shonin Eden," a folding screen is placed around a woman about to give birth to a baby at the scene of the birth of "Honen Shonin".
This folding screen was placed not only to shield the birth scene, but also as a lucky charm to pray for the safe delivery and healthy growth of the baby.
▪️Folding screens from the Warring States Period
In the Sengoku period (1467-1568), folding screens were produced to show scenes of battles.
The "Osaka Natsu no Jin" screens depict the "Osaka Natsu no Jin" battle that took place in 1615.
Nagamasa Kuroda, who participated in the Osaka Summer Battle, had the screens painted to record the battle and pass them down to his descendants.
It is a large work with 5,071 people and 348 horses elaborately painted, and Nagamasa Kuroda himself is depicted slightly above the center of the second fan on the right screen, but he is not very prominent.
Not only the Osaka Summer Battle Folding Screen, but many other battle paintings were painted not only to record battles, but also to educate the warriors and to reveal the honor of the family.
When the screens were placed in castles, they were used to decorate grand rooms as well as furnishings to show power. From the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the Edo period (1603-1867), byobu were placed in almost all castles, and their reputation as works of art grew.
One of the most famous painters of this period was Kano Eitoku. Kano Eitoku was a representative painter of the Kano school, which led the Japanese art world of the time, and was recognized and valued by powerful figures such as Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
His masterpiece "Rakuchu Rakugaizu" is said to have been a gift from Oda Nobunaga to Uesugi Kenshin.
▪️ Modern Folding Screens
In modern times, as lifestyles change, folding screens are used less and less as an everyday tool. However, because they can effectively create a special space, they are often used for celebratory occasions such as wedding receptions and press conferences where celebrities announce their marriages.
In addition to being used as decorations for seasonal festivals such as Hina dolls and May dolls, folding screens are also favored as elegant interior decorations, and modern designs can now be seen.
Recently, folding screens with designs that look good not only in Japanese-style rooms but also in Western-style rooms and office spaces have also been introduced.
Why not find the folding screen of your choice?
