17th Century Japanese Furosaki Tea Ceremony Screen, Farmhouse Landscape, C. 1650

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This rare 17th-century Japanese furosaki (tea ceremony) screen depicts a quiet farmhouse nestled within a sparse rural landscape, while a … Read more This rare 17th-century Japanese furosaki (tea ceremony) screen depicts a quiet farmhouse nestled within a sparse rural landscape, while a flock of geese crosses the distant sky. Executed in expressive sumi-e (ink) on a richly patinated gold ground, the composition exemplifies the restrained beauty and contemplative spirit prized in the tea ceremony, where intimate screens were used to define and soften the ceremonial space. The expansive gold field, softened by centuries of age, lends remarkable depth and atmosphere, allowing the few carefully placed brushstrokes to evoke an entire landscape. Finished with black lacquer trim, this elegant screen dates to circa 1650 and possesses the quiet refinement characteristic of early Edo-period Japanese painting. See less