Two-Panel Embroidered Standing Screen

The use of folding screens seems to have been introduced to Japan by Korean visitors from Paekche during the Asuka period (552-645). These exquisitely embroidered panels depict a romantic afternoon scene featuring white herons with autumn flowers and grasses in a marshy setting. This is a delicate piece of embroidery that appears like lacquerwork due to its bulkiness resulting from the additional layer inside the black silk fabric.