Folding screens

Folding screens were brought to Japan from China in ancient times. Although they were originally used as furnishings to provide protection from the wind, the obverse side of the screens were ornamented with paintings and calligraphy. In the Edo period, in particular, folding screens decorated with paintings (byōbu-e) were produced in large numbers. The surface of a kinbyōbu was entirely covered with gold leaf, which had the effect of brightening interiors by reflecting the light. The motifs on folding screens are varied and include images of flowers and birds, landscape paintings, stories and legends, historical events, as well as special annual festivals.

These two kinbyōbu depict scenes from the Sannō festival at Hiyoshitaisha shrine in Otsu, Shiga prefecture. The main building of Hiyoshitaisha shrine and the procession of mikoshi portable shrines are vividly depicted in a natural landscape that includes Mount Hie and Lake Biwa. The Sannō festival has an uninterrupted tradition dating back 1200 years. Both paintings show the climax of the festival when the mikoshi portable shrine is placed in a boat to continue its progress on Lake Biwa. The restored screens are a folding screen with a height of 104 cm from the The Museum of Arts and Crafts, Hamburg (MKG), and a folding screen with a height of 151 cm from The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH). A comparison of the two screens, which share the same motifs, reveal changes and variations in the expression of daily life, including the depictions of Shinto rituals and buildings, or scenes at shops and banquets. Judging by the style of painting and the depictions of the buildings, the screen from the MKG is slightly older, probably dating back to the first half of the seventeenth century, while the screen from the MFAH probably dates back to the latter half of the seventeenth century.

Artworks