Furosaki with painted fans on gold ground

Late 19th century

Ink and color and paper on silk, 67 by 174 cm

The compositions with fans were typical of Tawaraya Sotatsu school in Kyoto at the end of Ken'ei era (1624-1643). The fans could be painted on paper, then glued on a gold background or, as in this case, could be painted directly on the screen. 

Fans have always been used as a decorative element in the Japanese tradition. This object also has an auspicious meaning, representing the "unfolding" of the future.

Some of the fans of this folding screen depicting literal episodes or mythological subjects, others show the flowers of the four seasons and natural landscapes, with a style ranges from a fan to another.