Imagine yourself in Japan before the advent of television and video games. You have wealth, status, a big house, stately gardens and a pair of byobu of course.
Byobu, byo meaning "protection against" and bu "the wind", are free-standing folding screen(s) that were exhibited in an accordion-like manner.
Starting from the seventh century, when they were first introduced into Japan from China, they were exquisite status symbols, room dividers and set the scene for important ceremonies.
When one enters the Golden Screens exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), the most striking thing is the dim lighting evocative of candlelight, which, after a few minutes of acclimatising, reveals the subtle and refined beauty of the scenes depicted.
"The paintings of birds and flowers on the screens reflect the Japanese 'oneness' with nature. The native Shinto religion believes that spirits (kami) live in everything in nature, such as trees and rocks, and this brings respect and identification with nature," said Dr Mae Anna Pang, Senior Curator Asian Art, NGV.
Dr Pang said the exhibition has been very popular and even early morning seminars are filled to capacity.
The scenes depicted are very easily enjoyed because they are fascinatingly vibrant in colour and movement. Flowers – such as peonies, irises and chrysanthemums – hold special significance and are revered in Asian art and culture. They are depicted against a rich gold background that is sometimes evocative of the Buddhist idea of a heavenly paradise.
There is constant movement depicted with the flight of birds, water cascading over rocks, wind blowing through the reeds and the rhythms of passing seasons. In the process of admiring the screens, it becomes evident that the painters – such as Kano Eino (Birds and flowers of the four seasons) – had a keen sense of the perfect harmony that exists in nature from the minutest leaf to the birds' patterns of flight. It gives the impression of looking out into a landscape with heightened awareness of the inherent preciousness of life in all its forms.
Each screen is made up of six panels, though each panel could actually stand on its own as a complete work, explains Dr Pang.
The panels need to be viewed from all angles to be fully appreciated. Testimony to the great skills of the artists is the fact that from a certain angle, when three of the panels are obscured from view, the visible panels link together seamlessly in perfect harmony.
Many modern collectors display the screens flat against a wall, presumably for preservation purposes, but this exhibition offers a unique change to view them as they are meant to be seen – three dimensionally.
Folding screens originated in the Han dynasty in China (206BC–221 AD) and upon their introduction into Japan they were subsequently widely used at the Imperial Court and also the homes of aristocrats.
Golden Screens opened at NGV International, St Kilda Road, on April 4 and runs until September 9, 2007. A number of public programmes have been developed in association with the exhibition. NGV International is open 10am–5pm daily, closed on Tuesdays. For more details see www.ngv.vic.gov.au .
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