Japanese painted 6-part folding screen, ca. 1900, with gardenscene, 66 1/4" h., 150" w. Good condition. No apparent damages or repairs. Hannah Barlow holds a very special place in the annals of British ceramic art history, she was the first female artist / designer ( as opposed to general painter ) to be taken on by a major British pottery and thereby lit a torch for both art pottery and female designers that many of the other factories were forced to pick up. Hannah Barlow was born in 1851, the sixth of nine children, to a Hertfordshire bank managerand along with two of her siblings, Arthur and Florence, went to study at the Lambeth School of Art in the late 1860s. In 1871 Hannah Barlow, along with several other students ( including her brother Arthur ) from the Art School was taken on by the Lambeth pottery of Royal Doulton to decorate salt glazed stoneware to her own designs and patterns. The Barlow's country upbringing led the children naturally to a love of the countryside and nature and Hannah even had a small private zoo at their home. When Hannah was joined at Royal Doulton by her sister Florence, the girls decided between themselves that Florence would paint flowers and birds and Hannah would concentrate on Horses and other animals. She quickly became known for her incised sgraffito style of decoration and despite losing the use of her right hand while still in her twenties she learnt to use her left hand just as proficiently and was one of Royal Doulton's most prolific artist designers. Hannah Barlow stayed at Royal Doulton, producing quality Art Pottery for over forty years until her retirement in 1913. Lot comes with additional information.