@smithsonian

We're big fans of this artwork by Tawaraya Sōtatsu from early 17th century Japan. "Screen with Scattered Fans," in our @natasianart's collection, stretches about 5 feet high by 12 feet long. The 42 fans across it were painted on paper sheets and then pasted on the screen—and never intended for actual use. The subjects of the fan paintings are essentially selections from earlier, probably one-of-a-kind paintings. They depict military epics, literary tales, and nature scenes with plants, flowers and animals.