Antique Japanese Meiji Two-Panel Embroidered Silk Screen W/ Deer & Pine, C. 1880

Details

Description

Antique Japanese Meiji Two-panel Embroidery Screen W/ Deer; Buck, Doe, Fawns, and Pine Tree, Ca. 1880s

Description
A refined and … Read more Antique Japanese Meiji Two-panel Embroidery Screen W/ Deer; Buck, Doe, Fawns, and Pine Tree, Ca. 1880s

Description
A refined and highly decorative two-panel Japanese folding screen (byōbu) from the Meiji period (circa 1880), exquisitely hand-embroidered in silk on a luminous gold silk ground.

This elegant composition depicts a serene naturalistic scene featuring a stately buck, graceful doe, and two fawns resting beneath stylized branches of pine. The imagery is rendered with exceptional delicacy using fine silk threads, showcasing subtle tonal gradations and textural detailing that bring lifelike depth to the animals and foliage.

Unlike painted examples, this work is fully embroidered, demonstrating the high level of craftsmanship associated with Meiji-era decorative arts produced for both domestic appreciation and the Western export market. The restrained composition makes masterful use of negative space, allowing the rich gold ground to evoke atmosphere, light, and seasonal calm.

The subject matter carries traditional auspicious meaning in Japanese art:

Deer (shika): grace, harmony, and prosperity
Pine (matsu): longevity, endurance, and resilience
The scene suggests early spring, indicated by fresh green growth on the pine—an uncommon and poetic variation, as deer are more typically associated with autumn imagery.

This work reflects the influence of the Maruyama-Shijō school, particularly the naturalistic deer compositions of Maruyama Ōkyo and later artists such as Okamoto Toyohiko and Matsumura Keibun, here beautifully interpreted through embroidery rather than painting.

Both functional and artistic, the screen serves as a striking room divider or statement wall piece, embodying the refined aesthetic of late 19th-century Japonisme. The gold silk background changes color as the day's light changes.

Details

Origin: Japan
Period: Meiji (1868–1912), circa 1880
Materials: Silk embroidery on gold silk ground; wood frame
Type: Two-panel folding screen (byōbu)
Technique: Hand-embroidered silk with fine stitchwork and shading
Dimensions

Height: 72.5 in
Width (extended): 58.25 in
Depth: 1 in
Condition

Good antique condition consistent with age.
Minor wear to silk, including light imperfections, one light scratch, and some spots, age-related to the silk gold background, beautiful softness; presents beautifully overall. The frame shows light wear. Please review the photos carefully. See less