This early 20th-century Japanese four-panel Byōbu screen is a riot of springtime joy, with large bold red and white peonies, blue and white iris, and clusters of delicate orange, blue, and white blossoms unfurling across a gold leaf background. Each bloom is hand-painted on the four paper panels and all framed in a border of woven silk brocade, lending the piece both delicacy and grandeur. Traditionally used as folding room dividers, Byōbu screens were prized not only for their function but also as dynamic works of art—movable landscapes that brought the changing of seasons indoors.

In Japanese culture, the peony symbolizes wealth, good fortune, and honor, while the iris, often associated with the fifth month, was believed to ward off evil spirits and purify the home. The mix of smaller wildflowers adds to the charm, evoking the poetic ideal of mono no aware—an appreciation of the fleeting beauty of nature. At once decorative and deeply symbolic, this screen is a timeless celebration of spring’s exuberance.

73 in. W x 1.5 in. D x 36 in. H