View source for Byōbu

{{short description|Japanese folding screen}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Other uses|Byobu (disambiguation)}}
{{Refimprove|date=September 2014}}
[[Image:Byobu.jpg|thumb|A six-panel {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} from the 17th century]]
[[File:Tigres et dragons par Kanō Sanraku.jpg|thumb|Pair of screens with a leopard, tiger and dragon by [[Kanō Sanraku]], 17th century, each {{cvt|1.78 x 3.56|m|ft}}, displayed flat]]
[[File:Irises screen 1.jpg|thumb|Left panel of {{nihongo|''[[Irises screen|Irises]]''|燕子花図|kakitsubata-zu}} by [[Ogata Kōrin]], 1702]]
[[File:Hasegawa Tohaku - Pine Trees (Shōrin-zu byōbu) - left hand screen.jpg|thumb|Left panel of the {{nihongo3|''Pine Trees screen''|松林図 屏風|[[Shōrin-zu byōbu]]}} by [[Hasegawa Tōhaku]], {{circa|1595}}]]
[[File:Graz - Schloss Eggenberg, japanischer Paravent.JPG|thumb|Byōbu depicting [[Osaka]] from the early 17th century in [[Eggenberg Palace, Graz|Eggenberg Castle in Graz]]]]
{{nihongo3|{{lit|wind wall}}|屏風|'''Byōbu'''}} are [[Japan]]ese [[folding screen]]s made from several joined panels, bearing decorative painting and [[calligraphy]], used to separate interiors and enclose private spaces, among other uses.

== History ==
{{transliteration|ja|Byōbu}} are originated in [[Han dynasty]] China and are thought to have been imported to Japan in the 7th or 8th century ([[Nara period]]). The oldest surviving {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} produced in Japan, the {{nihongo||鳥毛立女屏風|torige ritsujo no byōbu}}, produced in the 8th century, is kept in the [[Shōsōin]] Treasure Repository.<ref>[https://megalodon.jp/2020-0725-0134-13/https://shosoin.kunaicho.go.jp:443/treasures/?id=0000020020&index=6 鳥毛立女屏風 第1扇] Imperial Household Agency</ref>

Nara-period {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} retained their original form of a single, free-standing, legged panel. In the 8th century, multi-paneled {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} made their appearance, and were used as furnishings in the imperial court, mainly in important ceremonies. Schools like Shoga, Kano, Tosa, Maruyama and Rimpa produced painted fusuma (cupboard door panel painting) over many generations for the decoration of private homes and castles.<ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://academic.oup.com/arthistory/article/38/4/778-791/7278262 |access-date=2024-04-25 |journal=Art History |doi=10.1111/1467-8365.12181 |title=From ''Byōbu'' to ''Biombo'': The Transformation of the Japanese Folding Screen in Colonial Mexico |date=2015 |last1=Sanabrais |first1=Sofía |volume=38 |issue=4 |pages=778–791 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The six-paneled {{transliteration|ja|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.

By the [[Heian period]] (794–1185), particularly by the 9th century, {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} were indispensable as furniture in the residences of {{transliteration|ja|[[daimyō]]}}, [[Buddhist temple (Japan)|Buddhist temples]], and [[Jinja (Shinto)|shrines]]. {{nihongo||銭形|Zenigata}}, coin-shaped metal hinges, were introduced and widely used to connect the panels instead of silk cords.

Following the Heian period and the independent development of Japan's culture separate from mainland Asian influences, the design of {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} developed further from previously Chinese influences, and came to be used as furnishings in the architectural style of {{transliteration|ja|[[Shinden-zukuri]]}}.

During the [[Muromachi period]] (1392–1568), folding screens became more popular and were found in many residences, [[dojo]], and shops. Two-panel {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} were common, and overlapped paper hinges substituted for {{transliteration|ja|zenigata}}, which made them lighter to carry, easier to fold, and stronger at the joints. This technique allowed the depictions in the {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} to be uninterrupted by panel vertical borders, which prompted artists to paint sumptuous, often monochromatic, nature-themed scenes 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 planed along its edges to be straight, square, and the same size as the other panels of the {{transliteration|ja|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 {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}}. The resulting structure was lightweight and durable, yet still quite delicate. 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 {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}}, and intricately decorated metal hardware (strips, right angles, and studs) were applied to the frame to protect the lacquer.

In the following [[Azuchi–Momoyama period]] (1568–1600) and early [[Edo period]] (1600–1868), the popularity of {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} grew, as interest and investment in arts and crafts developed significantly thanks to the patronage of the [[chonin|merchant classes]]. {{transliteration|ja|Byōbu}} adorned [[samurai]] residences, conveying high rank and demonstrating wealth and power. This led to radical changes in {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} crafting, such as backgrounds made from {{nihongo|[[Metal leaf|gold leaf]]|金箔|kinpaku}} and highly colorful paintings depicting nature and scenes from daily life, a style pioneered by the [[Kanō school]].

In the modern day, {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} are often machine-made; however, hand-crafted {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} are still available, mainly produced by families that preserve the crafting traditions.

==Mexican {{lang|es|biombo}}==
[[File:Large screen of the Palace of the Viceroys of Mexico, ca. 1676-1700, Mexico City, Museum of the Americas, anonimous painter.jpg|thumb|{{lang|es|Biombo}} depicting the [[Alameda Central]] and the [[National Palace (Mexico)|Palacio Virreinal]], {{c.|1676–1700}}. There are gold clouds within the scene, an element borrowed from Japanese {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}}.<ref name="Fordham">{{cite web |title=Biombo, View of the Palace of the Viceroy in Mexico City · VistasGallery |url=https://vistasgallery.ace.fordham.edu/items/show/1643 |website=vistasgallery.ace.fordham.edu |access-date=10 May 2022}}</ref>]]
During the [[New Spain|colonial-era of Mexico]], the [[art of Mexico]] was influenced by Asian art, objects and artists introduced to the region via the [[Manilla Galleon]]s. Notable among the influences were Japanese folding screens.<ref name="Lacma">{{cite web |title=The Influence of Japanese Art on Colonial Mexican Painting {{!}} Unframed |url=https://unframed.lacma.org/2012/01/12/the-influence-of-japanese-art-on-colonial-mexican-painting#:~:text=Known%20in%20Spanish%20as%20biombo,inspired%20by%20its%20Japanese%20prototype. |website=unframed.lacma.org | date=12 January 2012 |access-date=10 May 2022}}</ref>

The word {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} entered [[Mexican Spanish]] as {{lang|es|biombo}}.<ref name="Lacma" /> The scenes depicted on these folding screens were frequently historical, such as the [[Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire|Conquest of Tenochtitlán]].<ref name="Lacma" /> Others depicted everyday life, such as a folding screen depicting the happenings of the village of [[Ixtacalco]].<ref name="Lacma" />

== Japonism ==
{{transliteration|ja|Byōbu}} were a popular [[Japonism]] import item to Europe and America starting in the late 19th century. The French painter [[Odilon Redon]] created a series of panels for the [[Château de Domecy-sur-le-Vault]] in Burgundy, which were influenced by the art of {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/index-of-works/notice.html?nnumid=025622|title=Musée d'Orsay: non_traduit|website=www.musee-orsay.fr}}</ref>

==Contemporary {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} artists==
[[File:A Thousand Cranes Kayama Matazō left.jpg|thumb|Kayama Matazō, ''A Thousand Cranes'']]
[[File:A Thousand Cranes Kayama Matazō right.jpg|thumb|Kayama Matazō, ''A Thousand Cranes'']]
[[File:Painter Allan West in his studio.jpg|thumb|Painter Allan West in his studio]]
[[File:Benjamin Gordon "When We Meet Again" 4-panel byobu.jpg|thumb|Benjamin Gordon, ''When We Meet Again'' 4-panel {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}}]]

The greatest {{transliteration|ja|[[Nihonga]]}} painter of the second half of the 20th century was {{nihongo|[[Matazō Kayama]]|加山 又造||1927–2004}}. He painted nearly 100 screens over a thirty-year period, several of which are in the [[National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo]].<ref>{{cite book|publisher= Smithsonian Books|title= Sōtatsu|year= 2015|isbn=978-1588345073}}</ref>

{{quote|[After the war] the conventions of {{transliteration|ja|Nihonga}} were being condemned, and every aspect of traditional Japanese art was being negated in a serious manner. West realism, modernism and automatic free abstraction had developed a following in Japan, and free abstraction was reaching the peak of its popularity… During this period, when I was young, I came to believe – rather simply, in a sense – in the secret but shining possibilities of {{transliteration|ja|Nihonga}} and especially of screen painting. <ref>{{cite book|publisher= Nihon Keizai Shimbun|title= Kayama Matazō New Triumphs for Old Traditions|year= 1996|isbn=4-532-15999-7}}</ref>}}

Since Matazo's death, very few artists still paint {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}}. Many contemporary artists continue to allude to the {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} format, aligning multiple panels in a row, creating ultra-wide paintings. In the age of international art commerce, this is done more for ease of handling and transport, since ultimately, these works are displayed flat on a wall.{{cn|date=May 2022}}

{{nihongo|Kentaro Sato|佐藤 健太郎||{{abbr|b.|born}} 1990}} produced an exceptional two-screen {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} (each screen with six panels) for his Master's project at [[Tama Art University]] entitled {{nihongo|''Transfiguration of Currents''|流転ノ行方}}. Abandoning the traditional {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} format, Sato used individual panels, which more closely resemble {{transliteration|ja|[[fusuma]]}} (sliding screens used as interior partitions). Both he and {{nihongo|Kiyo Hasegawa|長谷川幾与||{{abbr|b.|born}} 1984}} paint large works using mineral pigments on Japanese paper which are then mounted on four or six individual panels, not more than {{convert|1|m}} wide.<ref>{{cite web|author= Keizaburo Okamura|url= https://www.tamabi.ac.jp/pro/g_works/2015/jp/s7/|title= Excellent graduation work collection 2015|location= Tokyo|date=2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://kiyohasegawa.com/about-en/|location= Tokyo|year= 2022|title= About/EN}}</ref>

Allan West ({{abbr|b.|born}} 1962), who studied with Matazo Kayama [[Tokyo University of the Arts]] from 1989–1992, paints hanging scrolls, fans and folding screens:

{{quote|I have found the {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} format, with its three-dimensional surface, to be ideal for creating the kind of depth I had been aiming for. The world within the painting seems to continue on beyond the boundaries of the painting's surface. With the articulated, and reflective metallic surfaces, the works appear to change as the angle of the viewer and the light change. [{{transliteration|ja|Byōbu}}] are large scale works that place the viewer inside the painting. A painting that fills one's visual field. A painting in which one senses an animate presence in the work.<ref>{{cite web|author=Amélie Geeraert|title=Nihonga Painter Allan West Shares the Joys and Challenges of Being an Artist in Japan|url= https://kokoro-jp.com/interviews/249/|year= 2020}}</ref>}}

West has been commissioned to create many folding screens which are found in hotels, offices and concert halls throughout Japan.

Similar to West, but based in Europe, Benjamin Gordon ({{abbr|b.|born}} 1968) is an American painter whose focus is Japanese genres. While his subject matter and treatment captures the spirit of Japanese painting, unlike the {{transliteration|ja|Nihonga}} painters, Gordon paints with oil paints, creating multiple layers of translucent color. Gordon's screens are distinguished by the lack of a black outer frame. Instead, he uses unconventional fabrics for both the front and the back of his screens, which adds a layer of commentary or meaning to the subject of the painting.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://byobu.io/story/|location= Hamburg|year= 2022|title= Benjamin Gordon - Artist - Folding Screens}}</ref>

Gordon and Ichiro Kikuta ({{abbr|b.|born}} 1961) are both unique among folding screen artists: both artists are craftsmen as well as painters (these functions are usually fulfilled by two persons: the painter and the artisan), constructing the wooden frames (or {{nihongo|"skeleton"|骸骨}} in Japanese) in the traditional manner. Kikuta's {{transliteration|ja|byōbu}} are immediately recognizable by their subject matter of birds and animals of Yambaru (forest area located near Kikuta's home in the northern part of Okinawa Island), and by the paper backs of the screens, on which woodcut patterns of fern fronds are printed.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://kikutaichiro.com/?page_id=76|location= Okinawa|year= 2022|title= 屏風の製作 &#124; 菊田一朗山原屏風}}</ref>

== See also ==
*{{transliteration|ko|[[Chaekgeori]]}}
*[[List of partitions of traditional Japanese architecture]]
*{{transliteration|ja|[[Kichō]]}} (textile curtain on a portable stand)
*{{transliteration|ja|[[Noren]]}} (textile doorhanging)
*{{transliteration|ja|[[Sudare]]}} (reed blind)

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/b/byoubu.htm Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System Byoubu entry]
*[http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/84980/rec/1 Momoyama, Japanese Art in the Age of Grandeur], an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on ''byōbu''  
* [http://artgallery.yale.edu/exhibitions/exhibition/byobu-grandeur-japanese-screens Byobu: The Grandeur of Japanese Screens], a companion Web site to an exhibition at the Yale University Art Gallery, which contains images and descriptions of noteworthy ''byōbu''.

{{Japanese architectural elements}}

[[Category:Byōbu| ]]
[[Category:Japanese furniture]]
[[Category:Japanese words and phrases]]
[[Category:Partitions in traditional Japanese architecture]]
[[Category:Portable furniture]]