A pair of folding screen paintings sent to Queen Victoria in 1860 as part of a dazzling diplomatic gift from Japan have recently been rediscovered in the Royal Collection.

Extensive conservation work has revealed fascinating details about the screens’ history, including how they were hastily produced after a dramatic fire destroyed the original versions, and how repairs were made at Windsor Castle in the nineteenth century using fragments of Victorian railway timetables.

The screens will be on public display for the first time since they arrived at the British Court 162 years ago.