The hidden beauty of the ‘pingfeng’

The elegant Chinese pingfeng (folding screen) is an ancient invention that is an essential part of traditional Chinese furniture.

The earliest common use of the pingfeng dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). The term pingfeng means protection from wind，which suggests the original purpose of the pingfeng was to block drafts.

As time passed, this furniture was made in a wide range of sizes, from extremely large, oversized folding screens that were used in spacious palaces, to miniature decorative screens that could comfortably fit on a tabletop.

Folding screens used as room dividers was constructed from several panels attached to each other. The most popular room dividers in 7th century China were six or eight- paneled folding screens.

Chinese folding screens often feature a dragon motif. The dragon is probably one of the most familiar Chinese designs. It is the leader of all animals, and a symbol of masculinity, light, growth and life-giving water. As a king of the animals, it also represents nobility and royalty.

Beautiful male and female peacocks were also depicted on pingfeng panels. In ancient times the peacock was known to the Chinese only by reputation, but as the empire extended southward into tropical climates, interest in this spectacularly colored bird exploded. According to legends that originated in India, these birds eat snakes, especially of the poisonous variety, can avert natural disasters, and are a symbol of immortality. The peacock’s legendary combination of strength and beauty led to its extreme popularity as a decorative subject.

Pingfengs made from several joined panels also bear other decorative paintings and calligraphy.

A ‘pingfeng’ story

As mentioned above, an elegant Chinese pingfeng, or screen, was not a purely decorative piece of furniture in an old Chinese home. The screen, which would always be solid enough not to be seen through, would double as a thing of beauty and a hiding place.

In feudal China, the unmarried young woman of a rich family was not supposed to see or be seen by men other than her father, brothers or very close male cousins.