Screens and Room Dividers
Late 20th Century American Screens and Room Dividers
Steel
1950s American Folk Art Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Iron
2010s American Screens and Room Dividers
Iron
Mid-19th Century English William IV Antique Screens and Room Dividers
Tapestry, Glass, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Screens and Room Dividers
Gold, Brass
1970s American Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Silver
1980s Unknown Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Cane
2010s Italian Minimalist Screens and Room Dividers
Steel
1980s American Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Shell, Wood, Paint
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Bamboo, Wicker
19th Century French Empire Antique Screens and Room Dividers
Bronze
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Philippine Screens and Room Dividers
Bamboo
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Screens and Room Dividers
Bronze
1980s Italian Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Bamboo
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Screens and Room Dividers
Iron
20th Century American Modern Screens and Room Dividers
Wood, Paint
2010s Italian Minimalist Screens and Room Dividers
Lacquer, Oak
1980s American Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
2010s Italian Minimalist Screens and Room Dividers
Steel
2010s Italian Minimalist Screens and Room Dividers
Steel
Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Screens and Room Dividers
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Canvas
Late 20th Century French Screens and Room Dividers
Iron
20th Century Japanese Anglo-Japanese Screens and Room Dividers
Metal
19th Century English George III Antique Screens and Room Dividers
Pine
Mid-19th Century American Victorian Antique Screens and Room Dividers
Tapestry, Rosewood
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Screens and Room Dividers
Wood, Paint
2010s French Screens and Room Dividers
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century French Modern Screens and Room Dividers
Brass
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Screens and Room Dividers
Rosewood
Late 18th Century Italian Grand Tour Antique Screens and Room Dividers
Burlap, Mahogany
19th Century Antique Screens and Room Dividers
Teak
Mid-20th Century Screens and Room Dividers
Hide, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Screens and Room Dividers
Steel
Early 20th Century Chinese Screens and Room Dividers
Porcelain, Hardwood
1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Plywood, Lacquer
Mid-19th Century Victorian Antique Screens and Room Dividers
Mirror
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Wood
19th Century Antique Screens and Room Dividers
Teak
Early 20th Century Victorian Screens and Room Dividers
Paper, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Screens and Room Dividers
Resin, Fiberglass, Wood
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Pine
20th Century Qing Screens and Room Dividers
Wood
1960s French Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Bamboo
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Screens and Room Dividers
Brass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Screens and Room Dividers
Wood
1930s Italian Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Wood, Paper
20th Century Unknown Modern Screens and Room Dividers
Glass
1970s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Screens and Room Dividers
Fabric
19th Century Spanish Antique Screens and Room Dividers
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Beaux Arts Screens and Room Dividers
Ceramic
Early 19th Century Empire Antique Screens and Room Dividers
Canvas, Wood
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Screens and Room Dividers
Fabric, Velvet, Wood
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Screens and Room Dividers
Wood
19th Century European Antique Screens and Room Dividers
Canvas, Wood
2010s Turkish Arts and Crafts Screens and Room Dividers
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Organic Modern Screens and Room Dividers
Cane, Oak
Vintage Screens and Antique Room Dividers on 1stDibs: Japanese Screens, Chinese Screens and Art Deco Screens for Sale
Whether they are implemented as decorative accents or makeshift partitions to ensure privacy, antique and vintage folding screens and room dividers easily introduce sophistication and depth to any space in your home.
The earliest examples of folding screens are said to have originated in China and go back at least as far as the Han dynasty. Screens of the era were heavy structures made of wood and had hinges of cloth or leather. They were adorned with elaborate landscape paintings that were typically created on silk or paper canvases and applied directly to the screen’s panels afterward. Just as they had been in the 20th century and today, the folding screens then were recognized for both their practical and purely decorative properties.
Japanese room-divider screens were also decorated with paintings but constructed to be lightweight and mobile. They took on considerable event-based importance when the structures gained popularity in the East Asian country, as the folding screens were used in performing arts such as concerts, tea ceremonies and more. Later, artists elsewhere warmed to folding screens and sought to create their own.
In European countries such as France, where they were known as paravent, folding screens began to materialize in apartments in Paris, gaining favor with the likes of pioneering couturier Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, who is said to have accrued more than 30 and used them as a precursor to what we now know as wallpaper.
On 1stDibs, find a wide range of antique and vintage folding screens and room dividers, which, given their history, may do a better job of bringing people and cultures together in your home than sectioning off a space. Search by material to find options in metal, fabric or wood, or browse by style for mid-century modern designs and examples from the Art Deco era.