Handscroll
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The handscroll is a long, narrow, horizontal scroll 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.[1] Handscrolls are generally viewed starting from the right end.[2] This kind of scroll is intended to be read or viewed flat on a table, in sections.[2][3] The format thus allows for the depiction of a continuous narrative or journey.[4]
The traditional alternative format in East Asian paintings is the vertical hanging scroll, which is rarely as long.
History
According to the National Palace Museum in Taipei, the handscroll format originated with ancient Chinese text documents.[5] From the Spring and Autumn period (770–481 BC) through the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), bamboo or wooden slips were bound together and used to write texts on.[5] During the Eastern Han period (25–220), the use of paper and silk in the handscroll format became more common.[5] The handscroll was one of the main formats for texts up until the Tang dynasty (618–907).[5] From the Three Kingdoms period (220–280), the handscroll became a standard format for paintings.[5] New styles were developed over time.[5]
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.[6]
Description
A handscroll has a backing of protective and decorative silk (Script error: No such module "Lang".) usually bearing a small title label (Script error: No such module "Lang".) on it.[5] In Chinese art, the handscroll usually consists of a frontispiece (Script error: No such module "Lang".) at the beginning (right side), the artwork (Script error: No such module "Lang".) itself in the middle, and a colophon section (Script error: No such module "Lang".) at the end for various inscriptions.[4][5][7] The beginning of the scroll, where the frontispiece was located, is known as the "heaven" (Script error: No such module "Lang".).[5] Vertical strips (Script error: No such module "Lang".) are sometimes used to separate the different sections.[5] Most handscrolls contain only one painting, although several short paintings can also be mounted on the scroll.[5] At the beginning of the scroll is a wooden stave (Script error: No such module "Lang".), which serves as a support.[5] A silk cord (Script error: No such module "Lang".) and a fastener (Script error: No such module "Lang".) is attached to the stave and used to secure the rolled-up scroll.[5] A wooden roller (Script error: No such module "Lang".) is attached at the very end, around which the scroll is rolled.[5]
Examples
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References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Dillon, Michael (1998). China: A historical and cultural dictionary. Richmond: Curzon. p. 273. ISBN 978-0-7007-0439-2.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Laing, Ellen Johnston (2011). "Chinese Painting". Reading Asian art and artifacts: Windows to Asia on American college campuses. Plymouth: Lehigh University Press. p. 104. ISBN 9781611460704.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Qu, Lei Lei (2008). The simple art of Chinese brush painting. New York: Sterling. pp. 58–9. ISBN 978-1-4027-5391-6.
- ^ a b Delbanco, Dawn (2008). "Chinese Handscrolls". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Famous Handscroll Paintings and Calligraphic Works". Taipei: National Palace Museum. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
The origins of the handscroll format lie in the ancient texts and documents of China.
- ^ Willmann
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Chinese Scrolls". The Art Institute of Chicago. Archived from the original on 23 January 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Willmann, Anna (November 2012). "Japanese Illustrated Handscrolls". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Timeline of Art History. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
Further reading
- Transcultural Ink: The Realm of Infinite Subtleties. The Handscroll Experience.
External links
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- Digital Scrolling Paintings Project
- MoreInfo: Formats (Mounting). National Palace Museum. (for a diagram of the components of a handscroll)
