Traditional Japanese Shoji Screens

Oriental Furniture Window Pane Shoji Floor Lamp Black LMPWP45-Black $147.00

Oriental Furniture Window Pane Shoji Floor Lamp Black LMPWP45-Black $147.00

The traditional Japanese shoji screens are not made from rice paper, but from washi.  Washi is made from the fibers of the kozo tree. The washi paper was applied to bamboo or other exotic woods with rice glue to make sliding doors or folding room dividers. Because washi paper is very thin and delicate the screens were replaced each New Year. Shoji screens served many purposes.  They were used for ceremonies, backdrops and out door processions.

In Japan shoji screen room dividers, windows and doors are made by craftsmen called tategu-ya. “Tategu” is the name used for sliding doors and windows that serve as wall openings in Japanese architecture. “Ya” means “roof” or “shop.” Therefore tategu-ya means the craftsman who works in a shop that makes sliding doors.

There are many Japanese screen variations which include:

• Byobu – a folding screen
• Fusuma – a sliding door
• Shoji – is the translucent paper doors or windows
• Sugido – is cedar board
• Tobusuma – is a wood sliding screen
• Tsuitate – a single panel entrance screen

In Japan the most common use of shoji screens is for sliding doors and walls.  The translucent quality of the paper allows for diffused daylight to enter the room and also helps in keeping the heat in.  Shoji doors require slots for the railings so that they can slide. Because of their excellent craftsmanship, shoji doors can slide open or closed quite easily also the smooth finish of the wood eliminates any resistance.

As Western traders arrived in Japan in the sixteenth century, the beauty and practicality of the shoji screen was copied and brought to Europe.  Commodore Perry’s visit in 1853 brought trade with America and the shoji screen became one of Japan’s major exports.  Many western adaptations were made but none could match the shoji screens exquisite style.

The traditional Japanese shoji sreens can perform many functions in Western homes. They are easy to install. They can be used as shutters to cover windows or doors, folding closet doors, sliding closet doors, tub or shower partitions, freestanding screen room dividers, or even covers for ceiling-mounted fluorescent lights.  Modern adaptation has replaced the traditional washi paper with more durable materials such as vinyl, fiberglass, white or etched glass, or acrylic panels textured to look like paper.

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