Two kinds of scroll
When people say “Japanese scroll,” they may mean one of two different formats, which share a mounting tradition but are used very differently.
- Hanging scrolls (kakemono) are vertical works meant to be hung on a wall and viewed all at once.
- Handscrolls (makimono or emaki) are long horizontal works, often many feet long, held in the hands and unrolled gradually, a short section at a time.
This article focuses on the object: how scrolls are built, used and why they matter. The illustrated story scrolls known as picture scrolls and the related format of folding screens are separate subjects.
Origins
Scroll formats came with continental influence along with Buddhism, writing and painting. Sacred texts were copied onto handscrolls, and as painting developed, scrolls were used for illustration. Early handscrolls were made for reading and viewing in private, often by a small group of nobles and monks. The hanging format also developed in connection with Buddhism, when paintings of deities and teachers were hung in temples and used in ceremonies. Over the following centuries, the format spread from religious use into secular life, with landscapes, portraits and calligraphy hung in homes.
How handscrolls work
A handscroll is viewed by holding it in both hands, unrolling one side with the right hand and rolling up the other with the left, so only a section about the width of the viewer’s arms is visible. The viewer moves through time and space, much as in a film. The direction of reading is typically right to left, in line with traditional Japanese writing. The format suits stories, journeys and long landscapes, and it was well suited to the courtly enjoyment of tales told in text and image in sequence. Scenes could change or blend, with mist or architectural features marking transitions. Because the scroll is never seen whole, it controls the pace of looking. Fragile handscrolls are now usually displayed in sections in museums, and only for limited periods.
How scrolls are mounted
A scroll is more than a painting. The painted or written piece is attached to layers of paper backing and then framed with strips of fabric, often silk brocade, in a process called mounting or hyogu, a specialized craft. The usual elements of a hanging scroll include:
- The main piece, which may be ink, pigment or calligraphy on paper or silk.
- Borders of fabric above, below and sometimes at the sides, chosen to complement the work.
- A roller at the bottom, often with decorative ends, which keeps the scroll hanging straight and lets it be rolled.
- A hanging cord and a top rod, from which the scroll is suspended.
- Weights or small ornaments, sometimes added to keep the hanging steady.
Mounting is a skilled craft, and choices of fabric and proportion affect how the picture is seen. Mounters can also repair damaged scrolls, a task that should be left to trained professionals, as paper and silk are delicate. Washi paper is widely used for backing because it is strong and long-lasting.
Display in the tokonoma
In a traditional room, a hanging scroll is often shown in the tokonoma alcove, a raised recess that serves as the room’s focus. The scroll is usually displayed with a seasonal flower arrangement or another object, forming a small composition. Hosts often change the scroll to fit the season, the occasion or the guest. In a Japanese tea ceremony, the scroll hung in the alcove is traditionally the first thing a guest studies; calligraphy by a Zen monk is often chosen, as a phrase to reflect on during the gathering. Many households and temples do not display the same scroll all year, and scrolls are rolled up and stored in boxes between uses. Light, moisture and insects can damage them, so careful storage matters.
Scroll painting and styles
Scroll formats carried many painting traditions. Ink painting and ink wash landscapes are often found on hanging scrolls, as are portraits of priests and images of buddhas. The Kano school and other workshops supplied scrolls for patrons, and Nihonga painting artists continue to use the format today. Calligraphy, too, is frequently shown on scrolls, making the format a shared home for the visual arts.
Why scrolls matter
The scroll tells us about attitudes to art in Japan. An object can be rolled away, so the display is temporary and chosen. This links to ideas of seasonality and to the sense of a moment: what is shown today may not be shown tomorrow. The format also treats viewing as an act, with a handscroll unrolled slowly or a hanging scroll studied in a quiet room. For anyone seeing a scroll in a museum, it may help to remember that the work was meant to be handled, hung and rolled up again, rather than permanently exposed.