Six Gourds Kakejiku Hanging Scroll

This hanging scroll was created as a wish for a healthy, thriving future. The vivid green of the gourds brings a clean, refreshing presence to a room, adding a light, uplifting tone to the space. Lush vines stretch upward and outward, bearing ripened gourds at their tips, an image that conveys vitality and steady growth. Five gourds are painted in a bold, confident arrangement, and while a sixth, smaller gourd appears beside a male blossom—making six in total. This “six gourds” motif carries the meaning of mubyo sokusai: freedom from illness and a life of ongoing well-being. In this sense, the work holds a quiet prayer for everyday health and for peace within the home.

Among the leaves, delicate white flowers open, and a single honeybee descends as if guided by the morning light. Shown carrying pollen from the male flower to the female, the bee becomes an understated focal point, an evocative scene that gently speaks to nature’s cycles and continuity.

The mounting is equally intentional. The chumawashi “middle enclosure” features a pine motif; the ichimonji “fabrics attached to above and below main work” are adorned with plum, and the jikusaki "scroll rod ends" are made from goma (sesame) bamboo. Together, pine, bamboo, and plum—Japan’s classic trio of auspicious plants—lend the piece a restrained celebratory spirit and a sense of refined dignity.

Suzuki Yuri was born in 1958 in Gifu Prefecture. She specializes in flower-and-bird paintings, classical designs, figurative art, and animal paintings, and is known for her delicate and refined style, continuing to create art with great passion amid the rich natural beauty of Gifu. As a member of the Bokusai-kai (Ink and Color Painting Association), she has received numerous awards, including being selected for the 5th Maeda Seison Memorial Grand Prize.

Kaitakudo Art

Founded in Gifu, a region renowned for its rich Mino washi heritage, Kaitakudo Art has been crafting kakejiku, Japanese hanging scrolls, for over fifty years. Their work is supported by skilled artisans, including nationally certified first-grade specialists in traditional art mounting who uphold time-honored techniques. From planning and mounting to retail, they oversee the entire process in-house, ensuring consistent quality at every step. 

While preserving tradition, they continue to explore new possibilities for kakejiku—developing styles that suit modern interiors and sharing the beauty of Japanese art with the world.

Kakejiku Hanging Scrolls

Japanese hanging scrolls, known as kakejiku or kakemono, are a traditional form of Japanese wall art that has been cherished for over a thousand years. Featuring Japanese calligraphy, seasonal motifs, or paintings, each scroll is crafted with refined techniques that reflect the beauty of nature and culture.

Versatile and timeless, they can be displayed in homes, tea rooms, or modern interiors, and are often referred to as picture scrolls or Japanese scrolls. Their lightweight form makes them easy to roll, store, and rotate with the season or occasion. As an enduring expression of Japanese wall art, hanging scrolls bring harmony to any space.