Kakemono: Five Centuries of Japanese Painting. The Perino Collection

The kakemono (literally "hanging thing") is a Japanese painting or calligraphy, on silk, cotton or paper, contained as a scroll and intended to be hung on the wall.

Unlike a hemakimono (a roll that is opened horizontally on a surface) the kakemono opens vertically and is designed as an indoor wall decoration. Being connected to anniversaries, specific periods of the year or special occasions, it is displayed only temporarily and then placed, carefully rolled up, in a special box.

The subjects are mainly taken from nature (flowers, birds, fish) and show a naturalism and a tremendous accuracy of detail. Works of rare beauty by artists such as Maruyama Okyo, Kishi Ganku and Kusumi Morikage are included here.