Scroll painting is a format of painting and calligraphy, principally from China, Japan and Korea, in which the work is mounted on silk or paper and stored rolled rather than framed. The two main types are the hanging scroll, displayed vertically on a wall, and the handscroll, unrolled horizontally section by section on a table.
In China, scroll painting developed over many centuries, with landscapes, flowers and birds, figures and calligraphy executed in ink and colour by literati scholars and professional artists alike. In Japan, the hanging scroll, or kakemono, was hung in the tokonoma alcove and changed with the seasons, while narrative handscrolls illustrated stories and histories. Scrolls carry seals and inscriptions that record artists, owners and admirers, and these are essential evidence, though they are often copied. Mounting materials, rollers and boxes help with dating. The market contains vast numbers of later copies, workshop pieces and reproductions, so specialist advice is important, especially where a famous name is claimed. Condition issues include creasing, flaking pigment, staining, worm damage and remounting. Scrolls should be hung away from sunlight and damp, and rotated rather than displayed permanently, as was traditional practice.
