Hanging scroll

A hanging scroll (Chinese: 立軸; pinyin: lìzhóu; also called 軸 or 掛軸) is one of the many traditional ways to display and exhibit Chinese painting and calligraphy. Displaying the art in this way allowed public appreciation and appraisal of the aesthetics of the scrolls in its entirety by the audience. It is to be distinguished from the handscroll, which was narrower and often much longer and not designed to be all visible at once. The technique was imported to Japan and Korea who each have their own traditions and aesthetics.

Hanging scrolls are generally intended to be displayed for short periods of time and are then rolled up to be tied and secured for storage. The hanging scrolls get rotated according to season or occasion, as such works are never intended to be on permanent display. The painting surface of the paper or silk can be mounted with decorative brocade silk borders. In the composition of a hanging scroll, the foreground is usually at the bottom of the scroll while the middle and far distances are at the middle and top respectively.