The development of the innovative and unobtrusive paper hinge allowed one vast expanse of unbroken paper which was suitable for continuous large scale horizontal compositions, and a format thus came into being which was accepted by the Japanese as a serious medium for important artists.

Though simple in appearance, folding screens are complicated structures made of paper and wood. The individual panels are composed of carefully jointed wood lattice frames, covered on both sides with layers of paper that form a dense, elastic mattress. Squares of gold, silver and metal leaf are applied by hand to the paper base and this gilded surface is then painted. Lacquer rails are then applied to the perimeter to finish the edges of the screen and to provide support.

The screens in our collection display a wide variety of themes and include works representative of most of the major schools of Japanese art, with a focus on the early 17th Century works which beautifully document the decorative taste of an increasingly affluent society. The use of gold in screen paintings was perfected during the Momoyana Period ( 1573-1615 ) when some of the finest screens were commissioned by the warrior elite. Many such examples are included in our collection, particularly the Rimpa School which was extremely influential in defining the Japanese decorative arts tradition of the 17th & 18th Centuries.

We can supply three different types of hanging fixture. Firstly a simple brass plate which is easily screwed onto the wooden frame along the top of the screen, and has a hole to slip over simple nails in the wall. Secondly, antique finished sets of straight brass bracket rails which support the screen, top and bottom and hold it flat, about 1.5cm away from the wall. For screens of 4 to 6 panels, sets of angled bracket rails could also be used which allow the screen to be hung with the panels - zigzagged