Wei Shufen ducked behind the "portable screen" leaning against the wall to conceal herself. The portable screen was a common shielding device used by medieval nobility, particularly women, during outings—primarily to prevent outsiders from peeking at noblewomen (though its greatest function was actually to proclaim "I'm of high status, you lowly commoners stay away"). In Chapter One, when Wei Shufen escaped from the "screen fence" enclosure her family had set up on the high hill in the wilderness, it was essentially the same type of object, with only minor differences in details.
In this Dunhuang mural, the fabric in the lower right corner is a portable screen—get a sense of what it looks like. (Please visit the author's Weibo to view the image.) #####This book's annotations will include numerous historical artifact images. As the publishing platform doesn't support image functions, please visit the author's Weibo to view them. Search for the ID "Tang Dynasty Tour Guide Forest Deer" on Sina Weibo—discussions are welcome. ????
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