Folding screen depicting samurai. Japan, Taisho period, first quarter of the 20th century

Folding screen depicting samurai. Japan, Taisho period, first quarter of the 20th century.
Painted silk on a wooden frame.
6 panels.
In very good condition. Restored.
Measurements: 170.5 x 347 cm (total when open).

A six-panel Japanese folding screen featuring the figure of an armed samurai in a combat stance, depicted striding vigorously through a wooden structure that appears to be a bridge or walkway. The figure embodies all the chromatic intensity of the composition: the black of his robes contrasts with the blues, greens, reds, and golds of his attire and armor, as he wields a naginata—a pole weapon characteristic of the Japanese warrior tradition—and wears a sword at his belt. In contrast to this level of detail, the background is rendered using an almost monochromatic palette of grays and blacks and broad brushstrokes of ink, creating a dramatic atmosphere that accentuates the warrior’s movement.

Although the samurai’s presence evokes Japan’s warrior past, his depiction reveals a more modern sensibility, characteristic of the early 20th century. The figure takes on a remarkable sense of physical volume, while the pronounced diagonals of the architecture generate intense spatial depth and accentuate the narrative dynamism of the scene—features that allow the work to be placed within the context of the Taishō period. This approach is in line with the development of nihonga, a movement that retained traditional techniques, materials, and media—such as ink, pigments, silk, and the folding screen format—while incorporating greater naturalism, depth, and certain elements drawn from Western painting.