Part names of Kakejiku (scroll)

Honshi

The painting or calligraphy itself, normally paper or silk

Ichimonji

Cloth attached tops and bottoms of honshi and often used the same material used for futai, and usually fine quality cloth

Chu-mawashi

Cloth surrounding the body including ichimonji, generally the quality of the chumawashi is lower than ichimonjiUpper part of the honshi is called “chu no jo”, lower part is called “chu no ge”, and right and left parts are called “hashira”

Jo-ge

Also called “tenchi” indicating the upper and lower parts of the chumawashi

Fu-tai

Strips of cloth hung on the part which is divided into about three of “jo (ten)"
generally the same cloth as ichimonji is used for fu-taisome futai are attached informally and these are called “oshifu-tai”

Tsuyu

cotton threads put on the right and left parts of the bottom futai,white threads are called “tsuyu” and colored ones are called “hana (flower)”

Himo

Proper names of this part are “kakeo” and “makio.Kakeo is used for hanging the scroll and makio is for fastening it when it is put back.

Jikusaki

Also called “jikuhana”and attached to the both ends of the roller

Grasping it for rolling up the scroll
ivory, bamboo, lacquer and earthenware are used for the material of this part

Technique and materials of paintings

Iwaenogu

A type of pigment for Japanese style paintings and paintings of Tang.
a powder made from crushed stone

Since it does not dissolve in water, usually they are conjunction with Nikawa (glue).

Urauchi

Paper or cloth attached for the protection and reinforcement to the back of the body or canvas

Urasaishiki

Technique used for Japanese style paintings

Color from the back of silk or paper to create different effects from coloring from the front

Kao-

Lettering of signatures
Various kao were developed in order to avoid forgery

The general and the head of the tea ceremony school frequently used it for their works.

Gasan

Legends over a picture inscription such as a poem, tanka poetry, and haiku.
also, called simply“san”
Some gasan were written by the artists' by themselves and some were written by outsiders.

There are two kinds of legends inscribed in the contemporaneous with the artists and in the later years by the owners

Kantei

Judgement of the shinpitsu (autograph/ one's own handwriting) of artists' posthumous works and authentication of the works
Generally the artists' relatives or pupils conducted this judgements, however, recently connoisseur frequently perform it.
In addition, for Western paintings influential art dealers sometimes conduct this judgment.
If the work is shinpitsu, kanteisho or seal are issued. Or, hakogaki (autograph or note of authentication written on a box containing an art work) is attached after this judgment.

Kanteisho

Certificate issued after the connoisseur proved shinpitsu

The modern well-known artists have prescribed connoisseurs respectively, and only works published by those connoisseurs after kantei was conducted are valid sales.

Kiwamegaki

Origami

Certificate written by connoisseur himself to prove shinpitsu
Before the Edo period, form of origami was frequently used for this certificate and attached to books, paintings, and boxes of tea ceremony sets.

(This made a word "origamitsuki” meaning guaranteed.)

Gouache

A type of paint consisting of pigment suspended in water
as a binding agent, aqueous gum Arabic is used

Kenpon

A painting or calligraphy executed on silk

Go

Originally, a unit of dimension used in French canvas
In Japanese art world, a unit of "GO" is generally used to indicate the dimension of framed works.
Regardless of the size of length and width, long side determine the unit of “GO”.

Kohitsugire

A paper fragment from an old manuscript such as scroll and book written mainly in Heian and Kamakura periods

Sometimes used for hand glass (mirror)

Gofun

A white gessolike substance composed of ground seashells used as undercoating and build up painting surfaces

Thumbhole

The origin of this word indicated a small and portable sketchbook box but thumbhole designates a work of the size between 1go and 2go now.

Sanpukutsui

triptych, three set of Japanese scrolls (scrolls are numbered like ippuku (one scroll), nifuku (diptych), and sanpuku (triptych))
For sanpukutsui, landscapes to the right and left scrolls, and figures to the middle scroll are often used.

Additionally, there are nifukutsui, shifukutsui, and jyu-nifukutsui.

Shihon

material such as paper on which the works of books or paintings are painted

Tato

Abbreviation of“tatoushi” which is a thick folding paper coated with fermented juice of unripe astringent persimmons

used as a paper box to put a frame or paulownia box

Tekagami

album-like books which collects representative “kohitsugire” or the copy of it

It was originally created for judgments of old manuscripts, but also it was made for lovers of old manuscripts to appreciate them.

Also, it used to be one of the important trousseaus for children of samurai class and court noble.

Nikawa

a transparent or semi-transparent animal glue, used as a binder and an adhesive

made from the skins, bones, tendons and intestines of animals or fish skins and bones, which are boiled in water to extract gelatin

Tomo Seal

certification which a producer of a scroll by himself attached to his new work generally to the back of the frame to prove its authentication

Usually the title of the work and painting are written, and certification attached by connoisseurs is simply called “Seal”.

Tomobako

“hakogaki” written by the artist himself
proof of its authentication

Hakogaki

autograph or note of authentication written on a box containing an art work usually on the lid or the box itself of the scroll box

Generally, artist's signature, seal and the title of the work are written, however names of connoisseur and the artist are frequently used instead of the artist's original Hakogaki.
For Japanese style painting and sets of tea ceremony, this Hakogaki greatly affects “Kantei” and the valuation.

Matiere

texture and impression derived from the material

Rakkan

artist's signature and seal on a completed book or painting
abbreviation of “Rakuseikanshi”
pseudonym and seal (or "kao-") given in the margin of the work

In addition, production date, season, and age are frequently added before the pseudonym.

Rokkyokuissou

a right and left paired screen set composed of 6 folding panels for each screen

Screens' panels are counted using a unit of “sou” and a right and left paired screen is called “issou”.
Unpaired screens, for example, composed of 4 panels are called “Yonkyokuissou”.

Genre of paintings

Nihonga

Japanese-style paintings
concept created against Western-style painting inflow to Japan after the Meiji period, or paint style which independently developed against Chinese cultural influence

generally painted using “iwaenogu” onto Japanese paper or silk

Yo-ga

Western-style paintings
oil, watercolor, and pastel drawings

Some were drawn in the Western countries and the others were drawn in Japan after the Meiji period

Nanga, Bunjinga

Paint style was formed after the late Edo period influenced by “Nanso-ga” which is the paintings of China in the Nanso era (1127-1279). Because these paintings were drawn by the literati (called “Bunjin” in Japanese) who were not professional painters, they were also called “Bunjinga”.

Starting with the imitation of Chinese paintings, Yosano buson and Ikeno Taiga created Japanese own style in this field later on.

In the Meiji period, Fenollosa who helped the foundation of Tokyo University of the Arts kept out this painting style in order to keep Japanese traditional style, however, Tomioka Tessai and Kosugi Hoan produced many works influenced by Nanga (Bunjinga) in the modern times.

Rinpa

Rinpa is one of the major historical school of Japanese decorative painting including paintings, industrial arts, and books. It was created in the 17th century by the artists Honami Koetsu, Tawaraya Sotratsu, Ogata Korin, and Ogata Kenzan.

Such artists did not originally intend to form a school, but gradually they became to develop a flow in the art world respecting one another.
Later, using the subjects of paintings such as stories of the Heian and Kamakura period or seasonal flowers, Sakai Hoitsu, Watanabe Shiko, and Suzuki Kiitsu pursued graceful and gorgeous world of beauty.

Subject of a painting (mainly, Nihonga)

Shoushouhakkei

Eight views of the Xiao and Xiang
one of the subjects of Shan Shui which is a style of Chinese painting
the eight designated scenes of the area around the confluence of the Xiao and Xiang rivers and Lake Dongting

Horaisan

Mt. Penglai which is a mystical land found in Chinese mythology

Along with Hojo and Eishu, it is called one of the three immortal mountains and located in the far east of Bohai (sea).
It is believed that there are a medicine of immortal life and a palace.

As metaphor of a utopia, many artists chose this subject and some artists like Yokoyama Taikan and Tomioka Tessai depicted Mt. Fuji likened to Mt. Horai.

Kanzanjittoku

Two eccentrics named Kanzan and Jittoku

Kanzan's name was derived from the literal Japanese meaning since Kan in Japanese means cold and he lived in cold mountain.
Regarding Jittoku's name, it has relation with a letter used for his name. For, his name in Kanji literally means finding and Bukan found him at first.
Kanzan was believed to be an incarnation of Manjusri and Jittoku was said to be a reborn Samantabgadra.
Along with Nanso-ga and modern Nihonga, this subject of paintings were frequently used.

kou / Ever good

otsu / Good

hei / Slightly damaged but adequate artistic merit

tei / Damaged but adequate artistic merit

tomobako

Original box, usually made of paulownia wood, that holds a hanging scroll. On the lid are the title of work and signature inscribed by the artist.

awasebako

Box, usually made of paulownia, that holds a hanging scroll. The lid is not inscribed with the title of work or signature by the artist.

nijubako

Outer box that holds an inner box containing a hanging scroll. In most cases a lacquered paulownia box.

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