Chinese Scrolls

Chinese scrolls come in two varieties: hanging scrolls, and handscrolls. The most predominant variety of scroll is the handscroll, which was typically used to depict a narrative. The scroll, usually kept in a wooden box, is rolled up when not being viewed, with all images obscured.

The physical act of receiving the scroll, untying it, holding it, and then unfurling the scroll from left to right renders the reveal of image and text an intimate and even eventful act. Images within the scroll are often paired with enhancing poems or other texts. They often include additional dialogue by others who have also witnessed the contents. The experience, therefore, of unfurling the scroll is just as important as its artistry.

Chinese hanging scrolls, typically much wider and shorter than the traditional Chinese handscroll, are often used to display calligraphy and paintings. While handscrolls were typically only paper, hanging scrolls were either paper or silk.

Quick Facts

• When created, hanging scrolls were not made for permanent display. Typically, they were only displayed for short periods of time, and then later tied and stored
• The first examples of hanging scrolls were silk banners, often displayed at a site of burial. The first hanging scroll banners were dated back to 206-220 B.C.
• During the Han Dynasty, handscrolls were all-text documents. It wasn’t until the 220-280 A.D. that handscrolls became a standard medium for producing artwork