Defining a screen
Screens, also known as paravents, have been used since antiquity as room dividers, decorative elements, and backdrops. They provide privacy and enhance a space's aesthetic. Screens from around the world reflect a diverse range of artistic styles.
A tool of variety
Screens serve various artistic purposes: as painting surfaces, installation components, and printmaking tools. Traditionally, folding screens, often adorned with paintings or lacquer, functioned as room dividers and decorative backdrops.
A decorative barrier
Folding screens, also called ‘paravent’ as mentioned originated in China and Japan, potentially as early as the 12th century. Made of lacquer and wood these provided interesting backdrops and barriers in rooms and living spaces.
Story of the screen
Screens date back to China during the Eastern Zhou period (771–256 BCE). These were initially one-panel screens in contrast to folding screens. Folding screens were invented during the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE).
Tang dynasty screens (618 to 907 A.D)
Folding screens were originally made from wooden panels and painted on lacquered surfaces, eventually folding screens made from paper or silk became popular too. Even though folding screens were known to have been used since antiquity, it became popular during the Tang dynasty..
Japanese screens
Byōbu, or 'wind walls,' are Japanese folding screens with decorative paintings, often in ink or gouache and calligraphy. Used to divide rooms and create private spaces, they were first introduced to Japan from China in the 8th century.
Japan's unique designs
Kokufū Bunka, the historical culture of Japan centered around the beginning of the 10th century and the depolarization period of the 11th century, fostered indigenous designs, influencing furnishings in the Shinden-zukuri, a Heian period (794–1185) architectural style.
Coromandel screens
Coromandel lacquer screens, featuring multiple intricately carved and painted wooden panels coated in black lacquer, were a significant export to the West. These hinged panels could be folded or unfolded, offering flexible room division and decoration.
Decorative Indian Screens
Indian decorative screens evolved from practical room dividers to sophisticated art. They blend functionality with aesthetics, influenced by the Mughals' ornate stonework and pietra dura.
Screen in four folds (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Wooden screens of India
Wooden screens are common in India as room dividers and come in a wide range of designs, sizes, and finishes, catering to different tastes and interior styles. Jaali or trellis designs are incorporated though originally belonging to architecture.
Embellished screens of India
Some Indian screens also incorporate other materials such as rice paper, glass, or fabric in the panels, allowing light to filter through or adding texture to the design. Screen designs had ivory and mother-of-pearl inlay as well.
European leather screens
Leather screens emerged in England in the 17th century as a form of interior decoration. This Dutch example from the 18th century features damask and leather. European countries imported Chinese screens in the 17th and 18th centuries as well.
The Salar Jung Museum Collection
The museum's collection boasts of a variety of folding screens. There seems to be screens from all over the world.
Let's check them out as we discover the screen's journey from the East to the West!
Three Salar Jungs (1901/1999)Salar Jung Museum
Salar Jung I, Salar Jung II and Salar Jung III images in a three fold decorative jade screen with jaali work, from the 20th century.
Sandalwood screen (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Sandalwood screen
This 19th-century sandalwood screen depicts Lord Krishna slaying the snake Kaliya, playing his flute, and stealing butter, all while being attended by adoring gopis.
Inscribed Screen (1875/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Inlay work screen
This late 19th century inscribed Syrian three-fold screen showcases exquisite artistry with its delicate mother-of-pearl inlay.
Wooden screen (1801/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Wooden screen
This 19th-century exquisite wooden screen in four folds from Kashmir. India, features intricate mother-of-pearl inlays. The design showcases flowers and winding creepers. resembling the 'tree of life' motif.
Jade screen
A miniature jade screen from 19th century China with dragon and other emblems fixed to a wooden stand.
Screen (1801/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Japanese embroidered screen
This 19th century Japanese silk screen features a vibrant peafowl and two dogs in a wooded setting. Its four panels showcase the artistry of Japanese embroidery.
Screen in four folds (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Lattice design screen
A 19th century screen from India, representing four compartments with intricate vine creeper design in lattice type pattern (jaali) all over.
Miniature screen with four folds Miniature screen with four folds (1900/1950)Salar Jung Museum
Japanese miniature screen
This 20th-century Japanese miniature screen features black lacquer with gold paintings. Depicting birds, floral trees, huts with figures, an eagle, and a pony, the four-fold screen showcases traditional motifs.
Decorative Banaganapallle screen in two folds (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Nirmal style screen
This 19th-century Nirmal screen from Banaganapalle, Telangana, India, features an eight-panel design. The two-fold screen showcases the distinctive Nirmal style.
This 19th-century Chinese miniature wooden screen features delicate carvings. Veins, grape bunches and plants adorn both sides, while a dragon motif embellishes one side.
Miniature painted wooden screen in four folds (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Miniature Chinese screen
This 19th-century Chinese miniature wooden screen features painted porcelain panels depicting a man and child amidst a serene landscape.
Screen with decorated glass Screen with decorated glass (1900/1950)Salar Jung Museum
Decorative glass screen
This 20th-century English screen features decorated glass panels in a three-fold design. It showcases a bird perched on a stalk, surrounded by leaves and flowers.
Screen fitted with tapestry Screen fitted with tapestry (1900/1950)Salar Jung Museum
Jungle tapestry screen
This 20th-century English screen features a four-fold design. A tapestry of a jungle scene with a stream, trees, dogs, and deer adorns the panels.
Lacquered Ming dynasty screen in three folds (1368/1644)Salar Jung Museum
Ming dynasty lacquered screen
This Chinese lacquered screen from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) features inlaid jade and ivory, depicting pavilions, women, and gardens.
Lacquered Ming dynasty screen in six folds (1368/1644)Salar Jung Museum
Ming dynasty lacquered screen
Dating back to the Chinese Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), this lacquered screen is inlaid with lapis lazuli and jade. The screen depicts Taoist and mythological scenes.
Ming dynasty screen in four folds Ming dynasty screen in four folds (1368/1644)Salar Jung Museum
Ming dynasty screen
This four-panel Chinese Ming dynasty screen (1368-1644) features mica inlays depicting tombs and buildings. Carved birds embellish the top, with floral designs on the bottom panel ...
Ming dynasty screen in four folds Ming dynasty screen in four folds (1368/1644)Salar Jung Museum
Ming dynasty screen
... each panel's back displays fitted boards representing sparse trees.
Screen in four folds Screen in four folds (1800/1800)Salar Jung Museum
Chinese four folded screen
This four-panel screen from China's Qing dynasty (1800 A.D.) features inlays depicting pavilions, courtyards, and figures amidst trees and flowers on one side, ...
Screen in four folds (1800/1800)Salar Jung Museum
... while the back of the screen shows few trees and hilly areas interspersed with some houses and fencing.
Screen (1801/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Japanese embroidered screen
This 19th century Japanese screen features silk embroidery. The four-fold screen shows a peafowl and two dogs in a wooded setting, displaying fine craftsmanship.
Lacquered wooden screen with curved top (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Gilted screen
This 19th century Japanese wooden screen features a curved, arch-like top. The screen is lacquered and painted gold, depicting four birds perched amongst foliage. The subtle presence of a moon in the upper left adds a touch of serenity to the scene.
Three sided screen in wooded frame (1900/1950)Salar Jung Museum
Three sided screen
This 20th century English three-sided screen features a wooded frame with glass panels. The panels depict a creeper and peacock cloisonné design, along with a central Wedgwood plate showing a standing lady.
Three-sided porcelain screen (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Clock screen
This 19th century French porcelain screen features a built-in clock. Adorned with bronze accents, the screen depicts cupids and couples in a painted design.
Leather screen Leather screen (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
English leather screen
This 19th century English leather screen depicts four court scenes across its panels. A unique example of English interior design.
Carved Qing dynasty wooden screen in four folds (1736/1795)Salar Jung Museum
Chinese screen with porcelain panels
This 19th century Chinese screen features carved wood and blue porcelain panels. The panels, made at the Royal factory Jingdezhen, depict mythological animals emitting flames.
This jade panel, inlaid with a floral motif, bears the inscription 'Jade Hall' on its back. It dates from the Chinese Qing dynasty (1736-1785).
Wooden screen in four folds Wooden screen in four folds (1800/1950)Salar Jung Museum
Japanese carved screen
This 19th/20th-century Japanese wooden screen features intricate carvings. Dragons, seals, and emblems adorn all four folds of this decorative piece on one side ...
Wooden screen in four folds Wooden screen in four folds (1800/1950)Salar Jung Museum
... while the other side is embellished with different flowering plants and foliate scrolls adding a surprise element to the screen design.
Sandalwood miniature screen (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Sandalwood screen
This 19th century Indian sandalwood screen features ten miniature ivory paintings and intricate carvings. The three-fold design exemplifies the craftsmanship of the era.
Lacquered screen in three folds (1700/1799)Salar Jung Museum
French lacquered screen
This 19th century French lacquered screen features six panels within a gilt wood frame. Amorous couples are painted across three panels, with cupids adorning the remaining upper panels.
Screen in four folds Screen in four folds (1900/1950)Salar Jung Museum
Japanese screen
This 20th century Japanese screen in gilded wood features exquisitely carved panels of court and garden scenes in front and ...
Screen in four folds Screen in four folds (1900/1950)Salar Jung Museum
... with the back adorned with gold painting of birds and trees, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship.
Text and Curation: Soma Ghosh
Photography: M. Krishnamurthy and Bahadur Ali
Research Assistance: Dinesh Singh and E. Rajesh
Special thanks to: Ms. Priyanka Mary Francis, IAS, Director, Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, India.
Dr. B. Naik, Curator, Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, India.
References -
1.https://thesourceforantiques.wordpress.com/2018/01/12/the-art-of-the-fold-a-history-of-decorative-screens-in-the-interior/ (accessed on 17.08.2025)
2.https://www.sommer-prager.at/en/geschichte-des-paravents/ (accessed on 17.08.2025)
3.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372129781_Decorative_screens_as_room_dividers_their_historical_use_modern_materials_advantages_and_applications (accessed 17.08.2025)
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