Byōbu

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A six-panels byōbu from the 17th century

Byōbu (屏風, literally "wind wall") are Japanese folding screens made from several joined panels, with decorative paintings and calligraphy, used to separate interiors, and enclose private spaces, amid other uses.

[edit] History

As many Japanese arts and crafts, folding screens originated in China, as prototypes dating back to the Han dynasty were found. The term meant figuratively "protection from wind", which alludes that the original purpose of byōbu was preventing the wind from blowing in the rooms. Byōbu were introduced in Japan in the eighth century, when Japanese craftsmen started making their own byōbu, highly influenced by Chinese patterns back then. Through different Japanese eras, Byobu evolved in structure and designs, along with the techniques and materials used:

Nara Period(646-794): The original form of byōbu was a single standing, legged panel. In the 8th century , multi-paneled Byobu made their appearance, and were used as furnishings in the imperial court, mainly in important ceremonies. The six-paneled byōbu were the most common in the Nara period, and were covered in silk and connected with leather or silk cords. The painting on each panel was framed by a silk brocade and the panel was bound with a wood frame.
Heian Period (794-1185): By the 9th century, byōbu were indispensable as a furniture in daimyo residences, Buddhist temples and shrines. Zenigata (銭形), coin-shaped metal hinges, were introduced then widely used to connect the panels instead of silk cords.
Muromachi Period (1392-1568): Folding screens became more popular, and were found in many residences, dojos, and shops. The two-paneled byōbu were common, and overlapped paper hinges substituted Zenigata, which made them lighter to carry, easier to fold, and stronger at the joints. This technique allowed the depictions in the byōbu to be uninterrupted by panel vertical borders, which prompted artists to paint sumptuous, often monochromatic, nature-themed sceneries and landscapes of famous Japanese locales. The paper hinges, although quite strong, required that the panel infrastructure be as light as possible. Softwood lattices were constructed using special bamboo nails that allowed for the lattice to be planned along its edges to be straight, square, and the same size as the other panels of the byōbu. The lattices were coated with one or more layers of paper stretched across the lattice surface like a drum head to provide a flat and strong backing for the paintings that would be later mounted on the byōbu. The resulting structure was lightweight and surprisingly durable, yet still quite vulnerable. If you poke your finger into the surface of a panel and you miss a lattice member, your finger will likely pass clear through to the other side. After the paintings and brocade were attached, a lacquered wood frame (typically black or dark red) was applied to protect the outer perimeter of the byōbu, and intricately-decorated metal hardware (strips, right angles, and studs) were applied to the frame to protect the lacquer.
Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1568-1600) and early Edo Period (1600-1868): Byōbu popularity grew, as the populace insight into arts and crafts significantly developed during this period. Byōbu adorned samurai residences, conveying high rank and demonstrating wealth and power. This lead to radical changes in byōbu crafting, as backgrounds made from gold leaves (金箔 kinpaku) and highly colorful paintings depicting nature and daily life sceneries.
Current day: Byōbu are often machine-made and shoddy in terms of quality. However hand-crafted byōbu are still available, mainly produced by families that preserve the crafting traditions.

[edit] Types

Byobu may be classified by the number of panels:

Tsuitate (衝立): one-panel screens, the only legged byōbu, were the first available format. Currently found in shops, restaurants and other venues.
Nikyoku byōbu (二曲屏風) or Nimaiori byōbu (二枚折屏風): Two-panel screens, made their first appearance in the mid-Muromachi period. They are a key feature in Japanese tea ceremony rooms, used at the edge of the host's mat to separate him from the guest's area, and are often about 60cm high and 85cm wide. Nikyoku byobu are also called furosaki byōbu(風炉先屏風) in the context of tea ceremonies.
Yonkyoku byōbu (四曲屏風): Four-panel screens, displayed in hallways during the Kamakura and Muromachi periods. They were later used in Seppuku ceremonies and tea house waiting rooms in the late Edo Period.
Rokkyoku byōbu(六曲屏風): or rokumaiori byōbu 六枚折屏風, Six-panel screens, the most popular format, measuring approximately 1.5m high and 3.7m wide.
Jūkyoku byōbu (十曲屏風): Ten-panel screens, a relatively recent format, used as backdrops in large settings such as hotel lobbies and convention halls.

Byōbu may also be classified by their uses or themes:

Ga no byōbu (賀の屏風; literally "longevity screens): purported to be used since the Heian Period to celebrate longevity through waka poems written on them, embellished with paintings of birds and flowers in the four seasons.
Shiro-e byōbu (白絵屏風, also pronounced shirae byōbu) are screens painted in ink or mica on white silk surfaces, widely used in the Edo period in wedding ceremonies and more specifically in rooms were babies were born, thus they were also called ubuya byōbu (産所屏風; literally "birthplace screen"). They depicted cranes and tortoises with pine and bamboo, as well as the auspicious phoenix.
Makura byōbu (枕屏風; literally "Pillow Screen"): 50cm high screens, usually two or four panels, used in bedrooms as a rack for clothes and other accessories, and also to preserve privacy.
Koshi byōbu (腰屏風) are slightly taller than makura byōbu and were used during the Sengoku period, placed behind the host to reassure guests that no one is hiding behind the screen.