The History of Shoji Sliding Doors
Shoji doors are a customary part of Japanese living spaces. They may serve as a door, window or room divider, and since they are designed to slide, they take up much less space than a door that swings open. Does this Spark an idea?
Materials
The doors are made of translucent white paper over a lattice-like frame of wood. Traditionally, the paper used for shoji doors was washi, made from a tree called kozo (in the same family as the mulberry tree). Modern-day materials, including plastic, may be now be used.
Origins
The earliest folding screens come from China, dating to the 8th century, according to Dianne Lee van der Reyden, senior paper conservator with the Smithsonian Institute. In Japan, the shoji screen evolved into an important cultural element, being used as part of tea ceremonies, an enclosure for Buddhist rituals and as a background for concerts and dances.
Craftsmen
The craftsmen who created the intricate workings of shoji doors were called tategu-ya (meaning literally a craftsman who worked in a shop specializing in sliding doors), according to the Japanese gardening journal Sukiya Living Magazine.
Export to the West
When trade with Japan opened with the visit of Commodore Perry in 1853, shoji screens were exported and became popular in European and American art and interior architecture.
Uses
In Japan, shoji doors are traditionally used on the inside of exterior wooden shutters called ama-do. The washi paper is useful for helping light a room with its reflecting qualities. Shoji doors also serve as a space-saving privacy feature.
Tags: History Shoji, History Shoji Sliding, Japan shoji, shoji doors, Shoji Sliding, Shoji Sliding Doors, Sliding Doors
