A hanging scroll is a painting or piece of calligraphy mounted on a vertical roll of silk and paper, designed to be hung on a wall for display and rolled up for storage. Known in Chinese as a lizhou and in Japanese as a kakemono or kakejiku, it is one of the principal formats of East Asian painting.
The artwork, executed in ink and colour on silk or paper, is backed with layers of paper and framed by borders of silk brocade, with a wooden rod and knobs at the bottom to weight it and a thinner stave at the top for hanging. In Japan scrolls were traditionally displayed in the tokonoma alcove and changed with the seasons or occasion. Subjects include landscapes, birds and flowers, figures, Buddhist images and calligraphic poems. Collectors look at the quality of brushwork, the presence of artist's seals and inscriptions, and the condition of the painting and mount; creasing, worming, foxing and flaking are common. Many scrolls were remounted over time, which is acceptable when well done. Copies and later reproductions are plentiful, so attribution to named masters requires expert opinion.
