Sunday 2 June 2013

More on the Japanese Screen

The Japanese Screen is now installed in the new EVC. From the little research I have done so far, we estimate that it is about 100 years old, probably brought to Canada as part of someone's estate. Early screens were created to be moved as people moved in Japan circa 1600-1700s. They were often made from a light wood with a painted or dyed silk stretched across the frame. Later land owners denoted their wealth by purchasing screens that could not be moved easily. At first these had a heavier wood frame but still used material stretched across the mid-section. Towards the mid-1800s screen made fully of wood became more popular and the two-sided screen became more established -- traditionally with a significant scene on the main side and a more simple scene on the back. Elements that help date the screen are the use of a border around the main scene, a gold leaf background, the type of wood used, the scene depicted, the style of rendition, and the use of carved lines to set off the scene.

Since our screen is installed with the main scene face out, people will never be able to view the back of the screen so I have posted some pictures here -- exclusive for our Blog Peeps.






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