Yao Ceremonial Painting
Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings
Paper
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Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
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Antique 18th Century Tibetan Tibetan Paintings and Screens
Linen, Paint
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Paintings
Glass, Wood, Paper
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Textiles
Plexiglass, Wood, Silk
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Canvas
Antique 1690s Chinese Qing Antiquities
Ceramic
Antique 1690s Chinese Qing Antiquities
Ceramic
Antique 19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Sculptures and Carvings
Bone, Silk
Antique 1790s English Chinese Export Lacquer
Metal
Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Paintings
Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Porcelain
Antique 17th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Silk, Glass, Giltwood, Paint
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Chinese Ming Antiquities
Pottery
Antique 19th Century Chinese Paintings
Canvas, Plexiglass, Wood
Antique 19th Century Chinese Paintings
Canvas, Plexiglass, Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Tibetan Paintings and Screens
Fabric, Paint
Recent Sales
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Tribal Tribal Art
Paint, Paper
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Tribal Tribal Art
Paint
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Tribal Tribal Art
Paint
Finding the Right paintings-screens for You
Traditional Asian paintings were often created on scrolls and folding screens. Artisans made screens that could be folded up or spread out by connecting several panels using hinges. Today, antique Asian folding screens and paintings are sophisticated decorative accents that can serve as makeshift partitions to ensure privacy.
The original folding screens were created by Chinese artists. The earliest record of screens comes from the 2nd century B.C., and surviving examples date back to the Ming dynasty. Chinese painting utilizes many of the same tools as calligraphy — these screens were crafted from wood with painted panels featuring striking art or calligraphy that told cultural stories or represented nature and life in the area.
The practice was introduced to Japan, where paintings for screens were made on paper and silk, in the 8th century. These paintings frequently feature subjects such as landscapes, animals, flowers and Buddhist religious themes. Along with screens for tea ceremonies and dance backgrounds, there were screens for use in Shinto and Buddhist temples.
In the 17th century, screens began to be imported to Europe where their popularity grew. Coco Chanel famously collected Coromandel folding screens.
Traditional Asian paintings can make a tasteful addition to any wall, and screens can be used as decoration or, in the case of larger iterations, as an aesthetic way to divide a large room. Browse the selection of antique Asian paintings and screens from a variety of styles and eras on 1stDibs.