Hand Scrolls vs. Hanging Scrolls in Chinese Art
Speaker: Dr. Cortney Chaffin Kim
Chinese painting formats
What is the difference between a handscroll and a hanging scroll mounting in Chinese ink painting?
One is a private format, while the other is more public. Examples include one of the earliest ink paintings in Chinese history, Admonitions of the Court Instructress to Palace Ladies, attributed to Gu Kaizhi 顾恺之, and the 14th-century ink painter Ni Zan’s 倪瓒 Rongxi Studio.
Admonitions of the Court Instructress to Palace Ladies, attributed to Gu Kaizhi 顾恺之, c. 400–700 CE, hand scroll. The British Museum. Photo: © Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank.
Video chapters
0:00 What is the difference between a hanging scroll and a handscroll?
0:51 Gu Kaizhi’s Admonitions of the Court Instructress to Palace Ladies
1:59 Ni Zan’s Rongxi Studio
Learn more
Discover more about early imperial China.
