From which dynasty did the screen begin to spread? What year was that?
The screen appeared in the week 3000 years ago, which is a symbol of fame and power. After continuous evolution, screens have been used for wind protection, partition and concealment, and have the functions of decorating the environment and beautifying the space, so they have been circulated for a long time and derived various forms of expression. Nowadays, screens are mainly divided into various forms, such as enclosure screen, seat screen, hanging screen, desk screen, etc. Among them, large screen can show that noble momentum and is the first choice for living rooms, halls, conference rooms and offices. It can be freely placed and moved according to the needs, and it can reflect each other with the indoor environment, complement each other, become an inseparable whole of home decoration, and present a harmonious and quiet beauty. In the past, the screen mainly played the role of separating space, but now it emphasizes the decorative side of the screen, not only to create the effect of "separating but not leaving", but also to emphasize its own artistic effect. Combining practicality and appreciation, it not only has practical value, but also gives the picture new aesthetic connotation. It is definitely a handicraft with national traditional characteristics.
At first, our ancestors' home furnishings were very simple. With the development of society, people's material life is gradually enriched, and their aesthetic concepts have also undergone tremendous changes. Therefore, the production of screens in furniture came into being. At first, most of them were placed behind the bed or beside the bed, and then gradually developed from fixed to movable, with changing styles and functions. The birth of the screen was originally specially designed behind the emperor's throne and was called "axe". It is framed by wood, covered with crimson silk and painted with axes and cymbals, which has become a symbol of imperial power. "Historical Records" also records: "The son of heaven stands on the screen". After a long period of development, screens began to spread to the people and entered the homes of ordinary people, becoming an important part of ancient interior decoration.
There are many kinds of screens, such as vertical screens and folding screens. Later, there was a screen insert purely for decoration, which was petite and interesting. In ancient times, the screen production of princes and nobles was very particular, using mica, crystal, glass and other materials, and using ivory, jade, enamel, jadeite, gold and silver and other valuables in the mosaic process. It can be described as extremely luxurious. However, most folk screen production advocates practicality and simplicity. There are many people who display plain screens. Since Wei and Jin Dynasties, this trend has prevailed. Bai Juyi, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, once wrote a book on Su Ping, saying, "Isn't there Li's seal script, his calligraphy, frontier flowers and birds, and his turquoise?" I don't want to add a little painting to it. I want to be faithful and all white. " It shows its admiration for flat screens. Compared with Huaping, the home of Emperor Zhou, the folk plain screen is really unique and carefree.
There are various traditional crafts in China, but the ancients still have a special liking for screens. Because it combines practicality and appreciation, it has both aesthetic value and practical value. Its aesthetic value is not only reflected in the technical skill of the picture itself, but also in painting poems on the picture, giving the picture new aesthetic connotation. According to historical records, Emperor Taizong once put his "On Governing the Country" on the screen as a warning. The ancients painted the deeds of famous emperors, generals or famous virtuous women on the screen, which played the role of praise and preaching. From this perspective, the meaning of the screen has been greatly extended. The ancients painted poems on the screen in different forms. Landscape painting was the earliest, and screens appeared in Dunhuang murals, with images of mountains and rivers in them. The most famous painting of the Five Dynasties is Han Xizai's "The Night Banquet", in which there is a large screen with a landscape pattern. Then, screen painting has a wide range of themes, including landscapes, figures, flowers and birds, Bo Gu, calligraphy and so on. The habit of painting poems on the screen has long spread to Japan, and many of their traditional paintings, Ukiyo-e, are painted on the screen, which can prove the cultural exchange between China and Japan.
Screen has a long history, rich forms and colorful techniques. As a wonderful flower in the traditional craft field, it is widely spread and deeply loved by people. The use of screens began in the early Western Zhou Dynasty and was called "the ground". At first, it was used for wind and shade, and then it developed continuously, and the varieties tended to be diversified, including not only tall screens, but also smaller screens for beds and pillows, as well as special and purely decorative furnishings.
During the Han and Tang Dynasties, almost all wealthy families used screens. Its form has also increased from the previous generation, from the original single screen to a multi-screen curved screen, which can be folded and opened. Before the Han dynasty, screens were mostly painted on wooden boards, but since the invention of papermaking, they were mostly paper paste.
The types of screens are floor screen, bed screen, comb screen, lamp screen and so on. However, according to the texture, there are more, such as jade screen, carved screen, glass screen, mica screen, silk screen, painting screen and so on.
Hanging screens appeared after the Ming Dynasty, which exceeded the practicality of screens and became pure decorations. With the change of society, it is difficult for modern people's lifestyle to regard it as a family decoration, so that its scope is gradually narrowing, and it can only be found in special cultural places, such as theaters, teahouses and storytelling fields. In recent years, people at home and abroad have renewed their interest in Chinese classical furniture, and the aesthetic feeling of classical furniture culture, including screens, is gradually being re-recognized. We hope that people can dig out new aesthetic feeling and get new enlightenment from traditional screen technology.