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From Middle Chinese屏風 / 屏风(beng pjuwng). Compare modern Mandarin屏風 / 屏风(píngfēng). First mention in Japanese recorded history was in reference to a gift in 686 from the Silla kingdom on the Korean peninsula.
The byōbu is different from the 衝立障子(tsuitate shōji, another kind of folding screen) in that the byōbu is made of solid panels typically covered in lacquer, gold leaf, or a painted scene, while the tsuitate shōji is made from panels of shōji (a screen covered in rice paper).
屏風と商人は直にては立たぬ(byōbu to akindo wa sugu nite wa tatanu): "folding screens and business people don't get set up immediately" → setting up a folding screen or a business relationship takes time and preparation
屏風と商人は曲がらねば世に立たず(byōbu to akindo wa magaraneba yo ni tatazu): "folding screens and business people won't stand in this world if they don't bend" → both folding screens and business people must be capable of bending (being flexible) if they are to stand up properly (be successful)
屏風を返す(byōbu o kaesu): to knock something overflat, much as a folding screen will fall over
屏風畳に炭油(byōbu tatami ni sumi abura): "folding screen / tatami mats, and charcoal / oil" → the various sundries needed for a household
