AROUND HOME : Japanese Screens

THE JAPANESE HOUSE has few walls in the Western sense of the word. Of the four sides that enclose most rooms, usually only one wall is stationary, and, as far as possible, all space dividers are movable. The fourth wall is generally open to a garden or filled with panels of wooden frames covered with translucent paper, called shoji. In the past this word described all types of screens, literally meaning “things which separate, cover, determine the limit of a certain place, or screen the view.”

There were two main types: sliding fusuma screens and portable folding byobu screens. In English, both are called “screens,” and there is some confusion. Folding screens served both functional and decorative purposes. They were used to divide a room or to provide suitable decoration for a special event, and they were used outdoors to create an enclosed space during festive occasions. They were usually composed of six panels and were often paired. Two-, four-, eight- and 10-panel screens were also made but were less common. Predominant themes were taken from nature: Brilliantly colored flowers and birds are common, often painted on a gold background.

The popularity of folding screens dates back to the 8th Century. Inspiration came from China, but it was not long before the Japanese overtook their teachers. Folding screens with lavish paintings became an essential part of almost every Japanese house. These were set off to great advantage, since the usual Japanese room is empty of furniture: no curtains, no hangings, decorative objects limited to one or two pieces. Natural wood, pale straw and reed tatami mats provide a neutral background against which a single colorful folding screen stands out dramatically.

The secret of the durability of paper screens lies in the strength of handmade papers composed of vegetable fibers. Several layers of such paper are stretched over the panels of a light, wooden framework. The actual painting surface is pasted on at the very end of the process; the artist did not usually paint directly on the screen. Instead, he or she used separate sheets of paper, which were painted on the floor. Later the sheets were attached to the screen by a professional mounter.

Even today the city of Kyoto has miles of painted walls, sliding doors and folding screens from the Momoyama (1573-1614) and Edo (1615-1867) periods. Prices for folding screens available in the United States can be high. Recently a pair of 16th-Century screens by Unkoku Togan were sold at auction for $430,000. Nevertheless, striking examples can be found for a few thousand dollars.

Find Japanese screens at I.M. Chait (auctions) in Santa Monica; Larchmont Japanese Antiques in Hancock Park; McMullen’s Japanese Antiques in Los Angeles; Susanne Hollis in South Pasadena; Okame Arts in Pasadena; Warren Imports in Laguna Beach; The Gallery in Palos Verdes Estates, and Oriental Arts in Coronado.