emakimono

Emakimono, or emaki, is a Japanese term for long hand scrolls that combine painting and calligraphy to tell a narrative. These horizontal format works are typically made of paper or silk and can extend for several meters. They are read by unrolling the right-hand end, with each spread presenting a sequence of scenes and accompanying text that progress from right to left. The images and text are usually integrated, with paintings illustrating key moments and captions or passages of prose or poetry.

Historically, emakimono developed in the late Heian period and reached their fullest forms during the Kamakura and Muromachi periods (roughly the 12th to 15th centuries). Some of the best-known examples include the Genji Monogatari Emaki and the Heike Monogatari Emaki, as well as religious narratives such as the Shigisan-engi Emaki. They were produced for aristocratic patrons and Buddhist temples, serving to convey literature, religious stories, or historical events. The technique often combined monochrome ink painting with color, and in many instances employed emaki-e, a decorative method that uses lacquer and gold or silver powders to embellish the illustrations.

In later periods emakimono continued to be produced, though many survive as historical artifacts. Today they are valued as both works of art and primary sources for medieval Japanese culture, yielding insights into costume, architecture, and daily life. They also influenced the development of sequential visual storytelling and are studied within the broader context of East Asian illustrated manuscripts and narrative art.