A screen is a piece of furniture used to block the wind inside buildings in ancient times. It is called "screening the wind". As an important part of traditional furniture, screens have a long history. Screens are generally displayed in prominent locations indoors, serving the functions of separation, beautification, wind protection, and coordination. It complements and complements the classical furniture, becoming an integral part of the home decoration, presenting a harmonious and tranquil beauty.
The screen appeared as a special instrument for the emperor in Zhou Dynasty three thousand years ago, as a symbol of fame and power. After continuous evolution, screens serve as windproof, partition, and concealment functions, and they also play the role of embellishment of the environment and beautification of space. Therefore, they have been passed down to this day and have derived various forms of expression. Today's screens are mainly divided into surround screens, seat screens, hanging screens, table screens, etc. Among them, large screens can show that noble momentum and are the first choice for living rooms, halls, conference rooms, and offices. It can be freely placed and moved as needed, complementing and integrating with the indoor environment, becoming an inseparable whole of home decoration, presenting a harmonious and tranquil beauty. In the past, screens mainly played the role of separating spaces, but now more emphasis is placed on the decorative aspect of screens, which not only needs to create the effect of "separation without separation", but also emphasizes its own artistic effect. It combines practicality and appreciation. It not only has practical value, but also gives the screen a new aesthetic connotation. It is definitely a fine handicraft with traditional national characteristics.
At first, the home furnishings of our ancestors were very simple. With the development of society, people's material life gradually became richer, and their aesthetic concepts also changed dramatically. As a result, the production of screens in furniture also came into being. At first, most of them were placed behind or on the side of the bed. Later, they gradually developed from fixed to movable, with various changes in style and function. The birth of the screen was initially specially designed behind the emperor's throne, called the "axe". It is framed with wood, mounted with silk, and painted with an axe, becoming a symbol of the emperor's power. "Historical Records" also records: "The emperor stood on the screen." After a long period of development, screens began to spread among the people, entered ordinary people's homes, and became an important part of the interior decoration of the ancients.
Screens are produced in various forms, including vertical screens, folding screens, etc. Later, the interstitial screen appeared purely as a decoration. It was small, exquisite and interesting. In ancient times, the princes and nobles were very particular about making screens, using materials such as mica, crystal, and colored glaze. In the inlay process, precious items such as ivory, jade, enamel, jade, gold, and silver were used. It can be described as extremely luxurious. However, most folk screen production advocates practicality and simplicity. There are many furnishings with plain screens, and since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, this style has become popular. Bai Juyi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, once wrote in "The Ballad of Su Ping": "There are no seal scripts by Li Yangbing, handwriting by Zhang Xu, flowers and birds by Bian Luan, and turquoise by Zhang Zao. I will not add a little bit of painting on them. I want you to keep it true and keep it all white." ." shows his admiration for plain screen. Compared with the Huaping of the Emperor's House, the folk plain screen is really unique and has a leisurely charm.
There are many kinds of traditional Chinese crafts, but the ancients still had a special liking for screens. Because it integrates practicality and appreciation, it has both aesthetic and practical value. Its aesthetic value is not only reflected in the craftsmanship of the screen itself, but also in the painting and poetry on the screen, which gives the screen new aesthetic connotation. According to historical records, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty once wrote down his methods of governing the country on a screen, thinking that he would encourage himself and warn others. The ancients used to paint the deeds of famous emperors, generals and ministers or famous virtuous women and martyrs on screens, which served the purpose of praising, preaching and warning. From this point of view, the meaning of the screen has been greatly extended. Ancient people painted and composed poems on screens in various forms, but landscape painting was the earliest. Screens with images of landscapes appeared in Dunhuang murals. The most famous painting of the Five Dynasties is "Han Xizai's Night Banquet", which contains a large screen with landscape patterns painted on it. Later, the subjects of screen paintings were very wide, including landscapes, figures, flowers and birds, erudition, calligraphy, etc. The habit of painting and writing poems on screens has long been spread to Japan. Many of their traditional paintings "Ukiyo-e" are painted on screens, which can be evidence of cultural exchanges between China and Japan.
Screens have a long history, rich forms, and colorful craftsmanship. It is spread as a unique work in the field of traditional crafts and is deeply loved by the people. The use of screens began in the early Western Zhou Dynasty, and they were called "di".
It was originally used for wind protection and shelter. Later, it continued to develop and the varieties became more diverse. There were not only tall screens, but also smaller screens, as well as smaller bed screens and pillow screens. Some were dedicated and some were purely decorative. of furnishings.
During the Han and Tang Dynasties, almost all wealthy families used screens. Its form has also increased compared with the previous generation. It has developed from the original single-fan screen to a curved screen with multiple fan screens, which can be stacked, opened and closed. Before the Han Dynasty, screens were mostly painted and painted wooden boards. Since the invention of papermaking, , mostly made of paper.
The types of screens include floor screens, bed screens, combing screens, lamp screens, etc.; and if divided by texture, there are more, such as jade screens, carved screens, glazed screens, mica screens, and plain screens. , calligraphy and painting screens, etc., to name a few.
After the Ming Dynasty, hanging screens appeared, which exceeded the practicality of screens and became pure decorations. With the change of society, modern people's lifestyle has made it difficult to use it as a home furnishing, so that its scope has gradually shrunk. It can only be found in special cultural places, such as theaters, teahouses, storytelling venues, etc. In recent years, people at home and abroad have begun to be interested in Chinese classical furniture. The beauty of classical furniture culture, including screens, is gradually being re-recognized. We hope that people can discover new beauty from traditional screen craftsmanship and be inspired by it. New enlightenment.