of the heragami backing up carefully at this point and blow a little air in between the work and the drying board. This helps it dry quicker. The best quality backings are done with very fine backing paper before repeating the entire process using thicker paper or perhaps silk as in the case of jōfuku. Leave this to dry for a day or two and then remove carefully from the board. Never cut the paper as this will mar the drying board, but slip the blade of a knife under the edge of the paper instead and lift it off. One further tip.
If you are doing the backing yourself, do not press your seal to the work until backing is complete. This is because the ink for the seal is oil based and handling it without smudging is a very difficult procedure for an amateur. Ignore anyone who says it cannot be done because the paper will then be embossed. If the seal is pressed on a fairly hard surface, it makes no difference. The paper is only a millimeter thick.
Points to be careful about:
1) Take care to brush from the center and keep your brush away from the glue at the border because it may be transferred to your work. If you do get a little dab on it it will not harm it, but is just faintly visible,
2) Use only the best brushes as any other will tend to leave stray hairs on the work which do not become evident until later, when it is too late to make corrections. It is possible to remove them carefully with a pin, but a slip may result in a puncture in the work.
3) Holes in a picture. More vigorous calligraphers will occasionally tear the paper they work on either because they have begun with too much ink or have applied too much pressure at a point where several strokes coincide. You will notice that the paper that has been torn from the hole has been crumpled up at the edge of the hole. This can be smoothed back over the hole to restore the completeness of the paper. If the paper was torn away with the sweep of the brush, an attempt may be made to replace the fragment, but that is nothing to worry too much about. This is often evident in pictures at exhibitions. It can also be seen in my work “kuri” If you look closely. If the middle of the hole is missing fashion a simple patch for it so the ends will not tuck under. The thinnest possible paper is best. Cut it so that it is just a fraction larger than the hole, and fray the edges of the patch so no ridge builds up. Then open out the hole from the reverse side, dampen, align the grains of the paper, apply the patch, paste and lay flat before continuing with the process.
4) In a large of work of several pieces of paper inevitably there are slight overlaps. Try nevertheless to avoid any similar overlapping on the backing paper since it will simply make the join all the more evident.
The term hyōgu refers to the same process used to make the hanging scroll works called kakejiku, but the process for this sort of a work is exceedingly difficult and will require a professional. The process described above is a simple hyōgu described by the Japanese as urauchi, lining.
Framing and Exhibiting
Sho Calligraphic Works
Many works are often of a standard size, for instance the shikishi 24cm x 27cm, and attractive frames of dark blue or burgundy mountings with natural or black lacquer frames are available in Japan for these. As shikishi are already on a stiffened board, they can be slipped in and out of the frame and changed according to season. Generally calligraphy is done on thin paper however, and this must be backed in the way explained above to give it strength and remove wrinkles.
Several types of frame are available including steel and wood in various shapes, colours and lacquered hues. Simple black or brown wood or plain steel frames less any embellishment are preferable. The interior of the frame may be lined with silk or perhaps a material that has proper substance or with an attractive weave like hemp or jute. Colours ought to be positive like light blues, burgundies, russets, navy and so on. Avoid busy patterns like tweeds or checks-anything that will detract from the subject.
Sometimes not all of the interior of the frame will be lined and the middle simply cut out for economy. Edges of the work should then be trimmed with a large paper cutter instead of scissors and then glued lightly in place. Use perspex instead of glass if you can. It may be more expensive, but it is lighter and will not break even if it does scratch. There should be a slight gap of a centimeter or two between the glass or perspex and the work.
It is possible to hire frames, but it should be remembered that each time a picture is put into and removed from a frame the backing gets a little thinner at the edges and there is a danger the picture might be ripped. Transfers can only be done twice or so before a permanent frame must be found. In extreme cases backing can be done once more, but this is risky work. See illustration for several examples of mounting.
Notice that the boundaries at the top and bottom are in many cases elongated. Smaller works, seal carving for example, are often raised within a deep frame.
It is possible to obtain “reusable” hanging scrolls. The borders are already made up and one has but to attach his work. The disadvantage here, however, is that since it is cheap, it looks cheap and half done so it can be a detriment to a good work. I have often been asked why there are two strips of material hanging down from the top of these hanging scrolls and the story is this. These attachments date from days in old China when people were fond of holding parties outdoors in the summer. They would sing songs, recite poems and perhaps practise a bit of calligraphy-to commemorate the occasion much like we might take a photograph nowadays. To keep birds away they hung ribbons in the trees and the ribbons on the scrolls originated from that custom, Japanese call them “tsubame odokashi”, scarecrows. The work is mounted on material donsu brocade which has been backed with paper. The material may have a Chinesey pattern and if gold is interwoven in it it will be called Kinran donsu. Just at the top and bottom of the work there are often strips of material in a contrasting colour ichimonji “the figure one” the top will be slightly wider than the bottom at a ratio of 3:2.
Two fūchin weights are suspended from the bar at the bottom of these scrolls. Works that have been stored rolled up for a long time tend to remain curled so these weights straighten them out and also prevent their moving about in draughts as doors are opened and closed. The traditional place to hang a scrool is in the alcove tokonoma in the main room of Japanese homes. Here one’s most treasured possessions are shown off. Lastly nearly all old forms of calligraphy come in a scroll form known as makimono or kakejiku and they come in boxes that are signed at the outside by the artist. Most Japanese collectors will not accept a piece of calligraphy at its apparent value without the original box.
Modern styles of mounting do away with side borders altogether. Of course works may also be just mounted on a board, but they get soiled in time by repeated handling and dust clings to the fibres in the paper. Still another attractive means of presenting one’s work is as a folding screen, byōbu. This may be two or three panels, but always use one already made as they are not as easy to construct as they look. They are particularly effective covered in gold foil.
Carved Calligraphy
This sort of work obviously need not be framed as framing tends to be expensive and will often detract from an elaborate work. Still, saying that, I think the pros may outweigh the cons for these reasons: Kokuji, carved calligraphy, is so detailed it is difficult to keep clean. Once framed, a work will often appear more finished and complete and smaller works will be given a proper bearing. In large
