Bamboo Screens
The sudare screen is knotted together from strips of bamboo, and is not as soft as the noren curtain. Consequently, it is rarely used in corridors. As it can be raised or lowered to a desired height, it was originally used as a blind. While the noren may flutter in the breeze, it nevertheless totally restricts visibility, whereas the sudare, as a non-opaque screen, is effective on bright days in allowing those inside to see out while preventing those outside from seeing in. However, in case the scenery is distracting, all one has to do is position oneself far enough from the sudare to solve the problem.
The sudare is usually hung at the edge of the eaves of the veranda or on the outside of windows where, by carefully adjusting the height to which it is unrolled and tied, it can be used to provide relief from the sun's glare. Furthermore, in our modern residential blocks, it also affords residents much-needed visual protection from the neighboring house. And since one of the characteristics of Japanese garden landscaping is that
everything—from moss and stones to garden shrubs—is designed to be appreciated from a low angle, the top half of a window can be covered with a sudare without impairing appreciation of the garden.
Other possibilities include hanging a sudare on the wall and using it as a frame for a scroll or painting. If your home has shoji doors, these may be removed and then replaced with several sudare in the summer. Sudare may also be placed in upright frames and made into a folding room divider.
1. Screens provide protection from the sun's rays.
2. They can also prevent people on the outside from looking into the home, while permitting those inside to look out.
Sudare are approximately 35 inches wide, and come in small, medium, and large sizes.
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