Kataoka Byoubu

Kataoka Byoubu’s folding screens are made using traditional mounting techniques. Washi (Japanese paper) and metal leaf are applied layer by layer onto a wooden core, using nothing but water and paste. The washi is first moistened so that it expands, then pasted in place. As it dries, the paper shrinks back to its original size, leaving a smooth, wrinkle-free finish. The amounts of water and paste must be adjusted according to temperature and weather, and these adjustments affect the final result. Every screen is carefully made by hand, one at a time. The Hokusai screens are printed on brass leaf from high-resolution image data owned by a museum, while the painted screens are painted by hand by Kataoka Byoubu’s own artisans.

History of Kataoka Byoubu

Kataoka Byoubu Co., Ltd. is a folding screen specialist founded in 1946 by Jiro Kataoka. The family’s roots lie in a hyōgu (traditional mounting) shop, but as a second son, Jiro established his own workshop dedicated to folding screens. At first, the workshop made only screens for seasonal festival displays, such as hina dolls for Girls’ Day and warrior dolls for Children’s Day. After the second generation, Kyoichi Kataoka, took over, the company began producing large gold screens and made-to-order screens. The third generation, Takato Kataoka, has since taken the helm and, drawing on his own experience abroad, is focusing on sharing folding screen culture with the world outside Japan. While carrying on traditional production methods, Kataoka Byobu continues to explore new possibilities for the folding screen today.

History of the Folding Screen

According to the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), folding screens were brought to Japan from the Korean Peninsula during the Nara period. Japan later developed its own methods of production. From the 16th century onward, with the rise of powerful rulers, painters increasingly created works on folding screens. Some screens were also made for everyday use, and they appear to have been in high demand as furnishings to block drafts. In the Edo period, folding screens, hanging scrolls, fusuma sliding doors, and other mounted works came to be produced in large numbers in Edo (present-day Tokyo), and the Edo hyōgu mounting tradition was established. Sumida City, Tokyo, where Kataoka Byoubu is based, was once home to many mounting workshops, but their numbers have declined over time. As a dedicated folding screen maker, Kataoka Byoubu is building a new folding screen culture for Tokyo.

 

Kataoka Byoubu home page

https://www.byoubu.co.jp/