199 - Six-panel folding screen with a lakeside landscape design, Japan, Edo period, 18th–19th century

Six-panel folding screen with a lakeside landscape design, Japan, Edo period, 18th–19th century Painted in ink and polychrome on a background entirely covered with gold leaf. It is adorned with a vast lakeside landscape featuring sandy shores, a deep blue expanse of water, and a succession of hills planted with pine trees. In the foreground, gnarled pine trees grow along banks dotted with specks of light, while to the left, dense pine groves are rendered as masses of green foliage. On the opposite shore, several large triangular panels stretched between posts are visible; these are most likely jinmaku, camp curtains used to demarcate a military quarter or a ceremonial area—a motif characteristic of Japanese narrative painting. The stylized clouds (kin’un), rendered in gold leaf, structure the composition and create alternating planes that accentuate the landscape’s depth. The edges of the screen are trimmed with brocade featuring a woven floral design, framed by a red border and a black lacquered mount. 107 x 244 cm The original backing paper has been replaced with raw fiber canvas. Signs of wear and repairs.