Paintings & Scrolls

Japanese Paintings and Scrolls – The Art of Story-Telling

Emakimono, or “picture scroll,” is a style of story-telling completely unique to Japan. Through a combination of text and pictures either drawn, painted or stamped onto a hand scroll, Emakimono tell stories of battle, romance, religion and folktales. These portable and convenient scrolls were first introduced to Japan from India during the 6th or 7th century. Made of paper or silk, a hand scroll was attached to a wooden dowel on the left side, providing a way to roll up the scroll and store or carry it. Portability in a scroll was practical as well as aesthetic, as a scroll could range in length from 1 to 40 feet in length, with an average story taking 1 to 3 scrolls to complete. Today, Emakimono are regarded as some of the finest and oldest examples of otoko-e and onna-e, or men's and women's pictures, respectively. A scroll will reflect the aesthetic preferences and subject matter that most resonates with each gender, with the most famous of onna-e being the Tale of Genji, a hand scroll unfolding on the lives of ladies of the court and other such romantic themes.

Considered to be one of the oldest yet highly refined forms of Japanese art, Japanese painting encompasses a wide variety of genres, themes, styles and subject matter. Dating back to Japan's prehistoric period, the fine lines and flowing colors we see in Japanese paintings of today evolved from stick figures and simple geometric designs on pottery from 300 BC and murals from 300 AD. Just as with the hand scrolls, the spread of Buddhism throughout Japan encouraged the art form as religious imagery in Japanese painting began to dominate and exquisitely decorated temples created by anonymous artists began to emerge.

Have a look through our wide range of Japanese paintings and scrolls today, and discover the delicate yet powerful art form that's been carried through the ages to become one of the most distinctive styles in the world.