Beginning at least as early as the 8th century, screens were essential furnishings in the residences of courtiers, where they were often used for banquets and other special occasions. Such complexes contained a series of large halls in which folding screens could alter the useable size of a room, as well as afford eye-catching decoration. They could be set up whenever and wherever the need to decorate or highlight existed, such as behind a birthday celebrant or other guest of honor to demarcate his or her status. Screens also had their more everyday applications: they could be set up for ladies-in-waiting to sleep behind, giving courtiers a measure of solitude during the night, and would then be folded and tucked away for the day’s events and gatherings. Set up directly on the floor of a room, they were most often viewed from a seated position. In addition to being accordion folded—as we most commonly perceive them—they could also be stretched flat, or arranged in any configuration in between.

Screens were also required objects for court and religious ceremonies. In esoteric Buddhist temples of the Shingon sect, for example, landscape screens referred to as senzui byobu were set up behind a priest or imperial participants in order to highlight them.

By the 15th century, most screens were made in pairs, and gold screens were in demand for use at funerals where they likely called to mind the Western Paradise as described by Amida Buddha. Also at this time, screens adorned such rooms as meeting halls in Zen monasteries, as well as audience halls in warrior residences.

_{Flowers of All Seasons (detail), mid 17th century. Gift of Emily Crane Chadbourne.}