Special Exhibitions
Unfolding Beauty
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Special Exhibitions |
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Unfolding Beauty |
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Byõbu: Japanese Screen Painting Painted folding screens, called byõbu in Japanese, served many purposes throughout Japanese cultural history. The screen could be made of two or six vertical panels, hinged together to form a flexible "wall," generally about five feet high. Constructed of layers of paper over a light wooden lattice frame, such a hinged screen stands by itself when set upright in a zig-zag position, but it can easily be moved by collapsing it and carrying the whole to another location.Inside a Japanese house, such screens could be adjusted to hide service areas such as a kitchen or hallway, or to separate one space from another. In Buddhist temples or governmental audience halls they served as important ceremonial furniture. Because of their flexibility, byöbu could be adapted to a variety of spaces. Sometimes only two or four panels might be displayed. Screens were occasionally used outdoors for seasonal picnics, festivities, and nature-viewing expeditions. No matter how Japanese screens were utilized, their expansive surfaces inspired inviting, dynamic compositions akin to Western mural painting. Page 1 of 5 | On the next page: Two Exhibitions in One Summer |
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