掛け軸 - hanging scroll

A kakejiku, which is also called a kakemono, is a scroll that is mainly hung on the wall of the tokonoma (alcove). Kakejiku are usually paintings that show the beauty of nature. Sometimes they are works of calligraphy that have been done on Japanese paper or silk. Then they are mounted on a roll of cloth. They can be rolled up and put away when they are not being used.The hanging scrolls are said to have originally been Buddhist paintings introduced from China, which were used for religious services. These Buddhist paintings became part of the tea ceremony, and the scroll painting came to be a decoration or an art object to be appreciated in the Muromachi period (A.D. 1333 – A.D. 1568). In this period, alcoves came to be built into rooms. The scroll paintings simultaneously came to be mounted beautifully so that they could decorate the alcove spaces.

掛け軸は「掛け物」とも呼ばれ、絵画や書を軸物に仕立て、主に床の間の壁に掛けるようにしたものです。和紙または絹の布に書かれた花鳥風月などの絵や書を布で裏打ちしたもので、使わないときには巻いて保管します。掛け軸の原型は、中国から伝えられた礼拝のための仏画であったと言われています。これが茶の湯と結びつき、室町時代には装飾または鑑賞するためのものになりました。この時代には、座敷に床の間が作り付けられるようになり、それに伴って掛け軸も美しく表装され、床の間に飾られるようになりました。

The hanging scrolls have great influence upon the atmosphere of the rooms where they are displayed. For this reason, people chose a painting or a work of calligraphy that they admire or that is appropriate to the season. Generally, they replace the hanging scroll with a different one when the seasons change or when they have guests.

掛け軸は、座敷の雰囲気作りに大きな影響を及ぼします。このため、季節や好みに合わせて、その都度ふさわしいものに掛け替えます。