Hanging Scrolls | Kakemono | Kakejiku

A kakemono (掛 物, "hanging thing"), also referred to as kakejiku (掛軸, "suspended scroll"), is a Japanese hanging scroll intended for displaying paintings and calligraphy. Usually a scroll is provided with a fabric frame and a flexible back, so that the scroll can be stored rolled up.

The scroll can be hung on a wall and is traditionally hung in Japan in the tokonoma or toko, a niche in a room designed to display valuable objects.

You also often find scrolls in a dojo (training room for martial arts) and in the zendo (meditation room). Scrolls can be combined with other objects (okimono) such as bonsai, ikebana flowers and kokeshi dolls.

An important aspect of scrolls is that they are not necessarily intended for permanent hanging, but vary based on season, occasion or guests.