A gold leaf six-panel byobu folding screen with flowers and grasses - Paper, Wood, Gold leaf - Matsumura Keibun (1779-1843) - Japan - Edo period (1820 circa)

A Japanese six-panel folding screen painted on a gold leaf ground, depicting a delicate composition of peonies, lilies, wildflowers and grasses.

The floral decoration unfolds gracefully along the lower portion of the screen. At the centre, white and pale pink peonies bloom among rich green foliage, accompanied by delicate lilies and slender, arching grasses. Towards both the left and right, trailing plants, small violet blossoms and clusters of wildflowers create a harmonious arrangement of seasonal vegetation.

The expansive gold leaf ground, left almost entirely unadorned, enhances the delicate colours and finely rendered botanical details. The carefully balanced composition, with its generous use of empty space, conveys a sense of tranquillity, refinement and understated elegance.

Signed Matsumura Keibun (1779–1843) in the lower right corner.

The screen is finished with decorative silk borders and a red and black lacquered wooden frame.

The screen can also be easily mounted on a wall or used as a room divider.

Byōbu (屏風), literally “wind protection screens,” are traditional Japanese folding screens originally created to divide spaces and today appreciated above all as striking wall-mounted paintings.

---The byobu is in good condition, with signs of wear, minor imperfections, and small restorations to the paper, consistent with age. Please refer to the pictures for further details.

The item will be carefully packed and shipped accompanied by the original certificate of authenticity issued by Mastromauro Japanese art gallery based in Milan, Italy.
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