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How did Muromachi-period screen paintings draw on lacquerwork, metalwork, and textile design?
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Japanese art
The Breaking Wave off Kanagawa, woodblock colour print by Hokusai, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, 1826–33.
During the Muromachi period, screen painting in the rich polychromatic Yamato-e style developed in parallel to the more intellectual, sparse ink monochrome tradition associated with Zen Buddhism.1
The finest examples of these Muromachi-period screens drew significant inspiration from the materials and sensibilities of other decorative crafts, specifically:
- Lacquerwork: The screens incorporated aesthetic qualities found in the period's fine lacquerware, which was highly developed under the patronage of the Ashikaga shoguns and featured both ostentatious gold-lacquer techniques and the subdued, unaffected aesthetic favored by Zen establishments.123
- Metalwork: The screens reflected the precision and decorative sensibilities of contemporary metalworking, which was then reaching high standards in the production of ritual utensils and sword fittings.13
- Textile Design: The compositions often mirrored the patterns and surface textures characteristic of textile crafts, emphasizing a pragmatic creativity that prioritized the decorative exposition of the material surface.14
These influences collectively moved screen painting toward a more decorative mode, setting the stage for the full flowering of these styles at the close of the 16th century.1