Screen History And Culture
Oct 31, 2021
At first, the furnishings of our ancestors were very concise. With the development of society, people's material life has gradually enriched, and the aesthetic concept has also undergone tremendous changes. As a result, the production of screens in furniture also came into being. Most of them were placed behind the bed or on the side of the bed at first, and then gradually developed from fixed to mobile, with various changes in style and function. The birth of the screen was originally designed specifically behind the throne of the emperor, called "Axe". It is framed by wood, framed on silk, and painted with axe, which has become a symbol of the power of the emperor. "Historical Records" also recorded: "The emperor stood on the screen". After a long period of development, screens began to spread to the folks, entered the homes of ordinary people, and became an important part of the interior decoration of the ancients.
The screens are made in various forms, mainly vertical screens, folding screens and so on. Later, a plaque appeared purely as a decoration. It was small and exquisite and interesting. In ancient times, the screens of the princes and nobles were very particular, using materials such as mica, crystal, and glass. In the inlay process, valuables such as ivory, jade, enamel (fà lánɡ), jade, gold and silver were used. It is extremely luxurious. However, most folk screen making advocates practical simplicity. There are a lot of people who have furnishings with plain screens, and since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, this trend has prevailed. Bai Juyi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, once wrote "Suping Ballad": "Is there no Li Yangbing seal script, Zhang Xuzhi's handwriting, Bianluan's flowers and birds, Zhang Zao's pine and stone? "It shows its admiration for Suping. Compared with the Huaping of the Emperor's House, the folk plains are really unique and leisurely.
Chinese traditional crafts are diverse and famous, but the ancients still have a special liking for screen style. Because it combines practicality and appreciation in one.
The use of screens began in the early Western Zhou Dynasty, and they were called "di". It is a special equipment for the emperor. It is framed by wood, eight feet high, mounted on silk, embroidered with axe patterns, the axe-shaped near blade is painted in white, and the rest is painted in black, symbolizing the power of the emperor. In addition, during the Winter Solstice Festival, the Emperor Zhou "set up the imperial residence" on the back, which must be "decorated with phoenix emperor feathers", which also refers to the screen after some decorations. The screens of later generations are in the same line as the original axe.
Han and Tang Dynasty
During the Han and Tang Dynasties, almost wealthy families used screens. Its form has also increased compared with the previous generation, from the original single-fan screen to a multi-fan screen combined curved screen, which can be stacked and opened and closed. Before the Han Dynasty, the screens were mostly painted on wooden boards and painted. Since the invention of papermaking , Mostly paper paste. As shown in Figure 1.
The types of screens include floor screens, bed screens, comb screens, lamp screens, etc.; and if they are divided by texture, there are more, such as jade screens, carved screens, glazed screens, mica screens, silk screens, calligraphy and painting screens, etc. All in one.
