The handscroll is a long, narrow, horizontal

scroll A scroll (from the Old French ''escroe'' or ''escroue''), also known as a roll, is a roll of papyrus, parchment, or paper containing writing. Structure A scroll is usually partitioned into pages, which are sometimes separate sheets of papyru ...

format in East Asia used for calligraphy or paintings. A handscroll usually measures up to several meters in length and around 25–40 cm in height. Handscrolls are generally viewed starting from the right end. This kind of scroll is intended to be read or viewed flat on a table, in sections. The format thus allows for the depiction of a continuous narrative or journey.Delbanco, Dawn (2008)
"Chinese Handscrolls"
In ''Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History''. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 24 September 2011. The traditional alternative format in East Asian paintings is the vertical

hanging scroll A hanging scroll is one of the many traditional ways to display and exhibit East Asian painting and calligraphy. They are different from handscrolls, which are narrower and designed to be viewed flat on a table. Hanging scrolls are generally i ...

, which is rarely as long.

History

According to the

National Palace Museum The National Palace Museum, also known as Taipei Palace Museum, is a national museum headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in Beijing in 1925, the museum was re-established in Shilin District, Shilin, Taipei, in 1965, later expanded with a S ...

in Taipei, the handscroll format originated with ancient Chinese text documents. From the

Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period () was a period in History of China, Chinese history corresponding roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou (256 BCE), characterized by the gradual erosion of royal power as local lords nominally subject t ...

(770–481 BC) through the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

(206 BC – 220 AD), bamboo or wooden slips were bound together and used to write texts on. During the

Eastern Han The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

period (25–220), the use of

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...

and

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

in the handscroll format became more common. The handscroll was one of the main formats for texts up until the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

(618–907). From the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Jin dynasty (266–420), Western Jin dyna ...

period (220–280), the handscroll became a standard format for paintings. New styles were developed over time. Handscrolls were introduced to Japan centuries later through the spread of Buddhism. The earliest extant Japanese handscroll was created in the eighth century and deals with the life of the Buddha. Japanese horizontal picture scrolls are called emakimono (or ''emaki''), and more often cover narrative subjects than their Chinese equivalents.Willmann

Description

A handscroll has a backing of protective and decorative silk () usually bearing a small title label () on it. In Chinese art, the handscroll usually consists of a frontispiece () at the beginning (right side), the artwork () itself in the middle, and a colophon section () at the end for various inscriptions. The beginning of the scroll, where the frontispiece was located, is known as the "heaven" (). Vertical strips () are sometimes used to separate the different sections. Most handscrolls contain only one painting, although several short paintings can also be mounted on the scroll. At the beginning of the scroll is a wooden stave (), which serves as a support. A silk cord () and a fastener () is attached to the stave and used to secure the rolled-up scroll. A wooden roller () is attached at the very end, around which the scroll is rolled.

Examples

References

External links

{{Commons category, Hand scrolls
Digital Scrolling Paintings Project

National Palace Museum. (for a diagram of the components of a handscroll) Arts in China Books by type Chinese art Chinese inventions Chinese painting East Asian art East Asian calligraphy Manuscripts by type

History

Description

Examples

References

Further reading

External links