Maruyama Okyo Crane 1870s (detail)

 
The folding screen is one of the most distinctive froms of Japanese art. Screens served many purposes: as room partitions, as settings for special events and as backdrops for dignitaries. They offered large and inviting surfaces for decorative painting and many of the finest Japanese artists worked in the format. This exhibition shows highlights from the Gallery's outstanding collection of Japanese screens, dating from the 17th to 19th century and ranging from striking ink landscapes to studies of nature in vivid colours and gold.

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