Abbreviation of fusumashōji-e 襖障子絵. Paintings on sliding-door panels, *fusuma 襖. Fusuma are constructed of wooden frames and covered with layers of thick paper (or silk especially in the early periods) on both sides. The panels slide along grooves at the top and bottom of the door frame and function as doors and room dividers. The term *shōji-e 障子絵 was popular during the Heian period and still used interchangeably with fusuma-e, but the latter term is more commonly heard today. In addition, the term shōji-e in the strict sense includes paintings on free-standing screens, tsuitate 衝立, as well as fusuma-e. The earliest reference to paintings on sliding doors in Japan comes in the 8th century in the *Shōsōin 正倉院 records from 762. Although no paintings survive from the Heian period, many literary and pictorial references suggest that paintings on sliding doors were popular interior decorations in the shinden style, *shinden-zukuri 寝殿造, architecture employed for the palaces and residences of courtiers. Most extant fusuma paintings date from 15th century on, and were done in ink painting, *suibokuga 水墨画, painting with bright colors against gold background, *kinpekiga 金碧画, and *yamato-e やまと絵 styles. Fusuma-e were sometimes taken off their sliding door frames (in which case they are called mekuri めくり) and re-mounted onto folding screens, *byōbu 屏風, or large hanging scrolls, *kakemono 掛物, for preservation.