are Japanese folding screens made from several joined panels, bearing decorative painting and calligraphy, used to separate interiors and enclose private spaces, among other uses. History are thought to have originated in Han dynasty China and are thought to have been imported to Japan in the 7th or 8th century (Nara period). The oldest surviving produced in Japan, the , produced in the 8th century, is kept in the Shōsōin Treasure Repository. Nara-period retained their original form of a single, free-standing, legged panel. In the 8th century, multi-paneled made their appearance, and were used as furnishings in the imperial court, mainly in important ceremonies. The six-paneled were the most common in the Nara period, and were covered in silk and connected with leather or silk cords. The painting on each panel was framed by a silk brocade, and the panel was bound with a wood frame. By the Heian period (794–1185), particularly by the 9th century, were indispensable as furniture in the residences of , Buddhist temples, and shrines. , coin-shaped metal hinges, were introduced and widely used to connect the panels instead of silk cords. Following the Heian period and the independent development of Japan's culture separate from mainland Asian influences, the design of developed further from previously Chinese influences, and came to be used as furnishings in the architectural style of . During the Muromachi period (1392–1568), folding screens became more popular and were found in many residences, dojo, and shops. Two-panel were common, and overlapped paper hinges substituted for , which made them lighter to carry, easier to fold, and stronger at the joints. This technique allowed the depictions in the to be uninterrupted by panel vertical borders, which prompted artists to paint sumptuous, often monochromatic, nature-themed scenes and landscapes of famous Japanese locales. The paper hinges, although quite strong, required that the panel infrastructure be as light as possible. Softwood lattices were constructed using special bamboo nails that allowed for the lattice to be planed along its edges to be straight, square, and the same size as the other panels of the . The lattices were coated with one or more layers of paper stretched across the lattice surface like a drum head to provide a flat and strong backing for the paintings that would be later mounted on the . The resulting structure was lightweight and durable, yet still quite delicate. After the paintings and