International studio (45.1912)

Old Japanese Folding Screens

as the Torige Tachi-onna no byobu (screen with
figures of ladies standing; design worked out
with birds’ feathers). The catalogue describes
it thus: “One byobu of ladies, full-length
figures; six panels: 4 feet 7 J inches high, each
panel 1 foot ii| inches wide; pictures bordered
with scarlet silk gauze; frame of wood edged
with marked bamboo; nails black lacquered;
green sarcenet back ; scarlet bark fibre hinges ;
case of figured linen.” This byobu is known to
have been presented to the great image of Vairo-
cana Buddha by the Imperial consort of Emperor
Shomu, on the twenty-first day of the sixth month
of the eighteenth year of Tempyo Shoho, which
corresponds to July 22, 756 a.d. in the Western

Calendar. Our illustration shows another example
in the collection—one with Chinese seal characters
worked in birds’ feathers (p. 115). The square cha-
racters and the decorative designs are painted in
white, the other parts being in “spatter” of yellowish
grey and green on alternate panels. The screen,
according to an authentic record, was repaired and
somewhat altered during the Genroku period (a.d.
1688-1703). Six small bosses, about the size of a
coin, are found on the edge of each panel. It has
been customary to put small pieces of wood or
ivory on the edge of each panel in order that the
paintings may not rub against each other when
folded.
Students of Japanese pictorial art are familiar


FOUR-PANEL SCREEN

ATTRIBUTED TO IWASA MATABEI (1573-1650)
( Ownea by Messrs. Yamanaka and Co.)


SIX-PANEL SCREEN.' “.PINE-TREES ”

PAINTED BY KANO TERUNOBU (1717-1763)

120

C Owned by Count Mizoguchi)