Dimensions: Height: 62 in: Width: 62 in : Depth: 0.75 in
Materials and Techniques: Brocade,Silk
Place of Origin: Japan
Period: Late 19th Century
Date of Manufacture: circa 1900
Condition: Very Good with minor spotting due to age
Condition report upon request.
Fantastic Japanese late Meiji period two-panel signed byobu screen. The large screen features a pair of Oshidori (Mandarin duck)：An auspicious symbol of eternal love. The Japanese Pine trees symbolize longevity, eternal youth, and steadfastness (particularly marital faithfulness) and are valued for their greenery throughout the year. Artworks featuring pine often accompany new year celebrations, embodying wishes for a long and prosperous life. The screen is surrounded by silk brocade and set in a lacquered wood frame.
Japanese Antique Byobu
Japanese folding screens, or byobu, which literally means wind walls (屏 byo wall, 風 bu wind) are an intrinsic element of the nation’s art and design. Usually made of paper or silk, byobu were traditionally used as room dividers, but are now particularly prized as unique artworks. Traditionally depicting scenes from history, folk tales and the natural world these utilitarian folding screen have been a part of the Japanese high culture for more than a thousand years.
Byobu were thought to have first appeared in Japan during the Nara period (around the 7th or 8th century). Each screen starts its journey as a frame of bamboo giving the structure flexibility and sturdiness. Several layers of washi paper are stretched taut over each frame and then the hinges are then added to allow the screens to fit flush with one another and to fold without resistance. Kinpaku (gold leaf) might then be added to the washi paper before the panels are painted. In the case of the traditional silk-style screens, brocading – a process requiring an incredibly steady hand – would be completed after painting. The final touch is to add a lacquer frame to the byobu’s outer rim.
Traditional types of screen:-
Furosaki-byobu are smaller double-paneled screens often used during tea ceremonies.
Makura-byobu have up to four panels and were used in bedrooms as wind breakers.
Kinpaku-covered byobu (often with six or more panels) would have been ornamental additions in wealthy households and used for ceremonial purposes.
Koshi-byobu were a fad during the Sengoku warring states era (1467 -1615). Standing at waist-height, they were used to alleviate guest concerns that potential threats may be hiding behind screens.
Authentic Byobu are typically handmade using traditional techniques passed down through generations. Antique screens will be made with traditional high-quality materials such as washi paper and wooden frames. The artwork on authentic Byobu should be hand-painted or printed using traditional methods, reflecting Japanese aesthetics and themes.
