A Japanese Meiji Period Four Panel Embroidered Folding Screen with Birds and Flowers. Meji period. Ca 1900.
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A fine Japanese four panel folding screen dating from the Meiji period, 1868 to 1912, richly decorated with birds, flowering branches and aquatic plants embroidered against a deep brick red velvet ground.
The decoration combines coloured silk threads with gold and silver coloured metal thread embroidery. The metallic threads were carefully laid onto the surface and secured with small couching stitches, while selected feathers, leaves and flower petals were worked in slight relief. Natural oxidation has given the metal threads attractive shades of aged silver, bronze and old gold.
The four panels depict cranes, herons, swallows, pheasants and smaller garden birds among flowering plum or cherry branches, peonies, chrysanthemums, Japanese maple leaves, wisteria, reeds and ornamental grasses. The finely rendered feathers, elongated tail plumes, delicate beaks and individually embroidered leaves demonstrate the high level of Japanese craftsmanship produced during the Meiji period.
One panel features a pair of pheasants surrounded by autumn foliage and tall grasses. Another depicts two herons beside the water, with swallows flying among blossom laden branches. The third is decorated with small garden birds and an abundance of spring blossom. The final panel shows two elegant cranes, one descending in flight and the other standing among reeds and marsh vegetation.
The imagery carries traditional Japanese symbolic meanings. Cranes represent longevity, fidelity and good fortune. Pheasants are associated with beauty, dignity and vigilance, while swallows announce the return of spring. Plum blossom symbolises perseverance and renewal, peonies represent prosperity and honour, and chrysanthemums are connected with longevity and the autumn season.
The velvet has developed a beautifully varied surface, ranging from deep garnet and brick red to warm rust, terracotta and copper brown. Changes in the direction and compression of the velvet pile create lighter and darker areas, giving the background exceptional depth. These variations and gentle age related marks form part of its attractive original patina.
Each wooden panel is covered with finely grained reddish brown leather, showing natural wear and darker patination along the edges. Decorative brown and gold brocade borders surround the embroidered velvet panels, while narrow patinated metal slips separate the textiles from the outer frame.
The screen retains its flower shaped metal mounts, round studs and hinged construction, allowing the four panels to be positioned at different angles.
An exceptionally decorative Japanese Meiji period folding screen, combining sophisticated silk and metal thread embroidery with an elegant composition of birds and flowers. The beautifully aged velvet, leather, brocade and metalwork give the screen a warm and authentic character.
A fine Japanese four panel folding screen dating from the Meiji period, 1868 to 1912, richly decorated with birds, flowering branches and aquatic plants embroidered against a deep brick red velvet ground.
The decoration combines coloured silk threads with gold and silver coloured metal thread embroidery. The metallic threads were carefully laid onto the surface and secured with small couching stitches, while selected feathers, leaves and flower petals were worked in slight relief. Natural oxidation has given the metal threads attractive shades of aged silver, bronze and old gold.
The four panels depict cranes, herons, swallows, pheasants and smaller garden birds among flowering plum or cherry branches, peonies, chrysanthemums, Japanese maple leaves, wisteria, reeds and ornamental grasses. The finely rendered feathers, elongated tail plumes, delicate beaks and individually embroidered leaves demonstrate the high level of Japanese craftsmanship produced during the Meiji period.
One panel features a pair of pheasants surrounded by autumn foliage and tall grasses. Another depicts two herons beside the water, with swallows flying among blossom laden branches. The third is decorated with small garden birds and an abundance of spring blossom. The final panel shows two elegant cranes, one descending in flight and the other standing among reeds and marsh vegetation.
The imagery carries traditional Japanese symbolic meanings. Cranes represent longevity, fidelity and good fortune. Pheasants are associated with beauty, dignity and vigilance, while swallows announce the return of spring. Plum blossom symbolises perseverance and renewal, peonies represent prosperity and honour, and chrysanthemums are connected with longevity and the autumn season.
The velvet has developed a beautifully varied surface, ranging from deep garnet and brick red to warm rust, terracotta and copper brown. Changes in the direction and compression of the velvet pile create lighter and darker areas, giving the background exceptional depth. These variations and gentle age related marks form part of its attractive original patina.
Each wooden panel is covered with finely grained reddish brown leather, showing natural wear and darker patination along the edges. Decorative brown and gold brocade borders surround the embroidered velvet panels, while narrow patinated metal slips separate the textiles from the outer frame.
The screen retains its flower shaped metal mounts, round studs and hinged construction, allowing the four panels to be positioned at different angles.
An exceptionally decorative Japanese Meiji period folding screen, combining sophisticated silk and metal thread embroidery with an elegant composition of birds and flowers. The beautifully aged velvet, leather, brocade and metalwork give the screen a warm and authentic character.