Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

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Rainbow
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Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by Rainbow »

I've got a mental block about how best to frame a current job. It's a couple of Chinese scrolls which have been tightly rolled for years. I've tried to flatten them, but not completely successfully. They're not rice paper, but it's a special paper of some sort. It wouldn't be a problem, except that the customer doesn't want a mount, which would have kept it flat and away from the glass.

Is some sort of pressing the answer? I don't have a press but I guess I could find a local framer to do that for me. What process would I ask for and any indication as to cost? Or is there some other solution which doesn't permanently affect the art?

Thank you : )
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by prospero »

You could float them by 'hedgehogging' them to a piece of foamboard and the stick that to a coloured backing.

If you used thickish foamboard the edges would be lifted away from the background which would make and waves
look less noticeable.

How big are they? Someone once bought me one 12ft long and wondered if I could do it while he waited. :roll: :shock:
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by Not your average framer »

Are these scrolls of any value, or just cheap tourist stuff? If they don't need to be conservation framed it gives you a few more options, but if they are more valuable, then it's not so easy.

I certainly would not like to assume that any ink used on these will necessarily be water proof, so flattening these under a weight for however long it takes might be the easy thing to try first. It's difficult to know if after you have flattened it this way, that it won't over time try to resume it rolled up shape.

Chinese stuff might look nice with the corners held in place with scarlet ribbons across each corner. Scarlet is a colour that appears on lots of chinese items are might just look the part. Usually anything like this looks good if it's flat enough to frame, but not too flat. Dead flat looks a bit lifeless.
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by kuduframes »

Assuming that the scrolls are not high value or are not otherwise deserving of specialist attention then I would consider simply sandwiching them between an under mount and acrylic / styrene glazing. I suppose glass could be used on top of the acrylic. I'm not sure if there would be any need for a spacer between the acrylic and glass or if there would be any optical effects if they were up against each other but will find out tomorrow morning when I get to the workshop.
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by Rainbow »

Thanks for the replies. To answer the questions:

The scrolls are about 20" x 16".
They're of sentimental value only.
They're for an elderly couple so the conservation aspect isn't critical.
I've had them under weights for several days (as did the customer before they gave me them) but they tend to revert to curling when the weights are removed.
The reason they don't want a mount is because they want to keep the size down due to the limited wall space in which they're going to hang. They want to hang them in a special place.

The suggestions have possibilities, thank you.

I'd be interested to know if glass over acrylic causes any optical effect, kudoframes. Could I just use acrylic with no glass? And I know it goes against the grain, but seeing as the conservation aspect isn't critical, would it be a complete no-no to sandwich the scrolls between mountboard and glass?
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by Keith Hewitt »

I'm not a framer as I trust most of you know :shock:
You say tightly rolled for years, doesn't this tell you what they think of them ?
I have one of these scrolls framed and my framer has not used a mount.
The edges of the scroll are held in place by the edge of the moulding.
Is this a possible solution or is it imperative that all of the scroll should be visible

And Peter can you please explain " hedgehogging " :?:
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by Rainbow »

Keith Hewitt wrote: You say tightly rolled for years, doesn't this tell you what they think of them ?
Now that the husband has become disabled as a result of a distressing medical condition, the scrolls have assumed an importance which they didn't previously have. They now want to have that reminder of a happy time in their lives permanently visible.
Keith Hewitt wrote: The edges of the scroll are held in place by the edge of the moulding.
Is this a possible solution or is it imperative that all of the scroll should be visible
I've never heard of that being done but it's a possibility, thanks. The scrolls have quite wide borders which I'm having to trim down in order to reduce the size so it wouldn't be a problem to slip the edges under the moulding.
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by JFeig »

Here, in the states, the pressing against the face glazing is called "direct contact overlay" (DCO) as coined by an educator, Jim Miller.
It might be your best alternative. Note that trimming the silk border of a scroll is not normally done as the proportions are symbolic of the earth and sky.
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by Jamesnkr »

Give a dog a fancy name and turn it into a princess...
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by prospero »

Keith Hewitt wrote:
And Peter can you please explain " hedgehogging " :?:
It's a way of mounting a print so the whole surface can be seen. Aka float mount.
Hinges are applied to the back and wrapped around board just a tad smaller than the art.
The board can be a dropout piece cut in the middle of a coloured background, much the same way
as a window mount (mat) and when the art is fixed the dropout is put back where it came from and taped in.
So you get the art sitting flush on a surface with no visible means of support. It's like using pass-though hinges
but you have one continuous slot.
Another way is to use a separate board and stick it on top of a background which lifts the edges on the art giving a true floating effect.

But you knew all that. :P

Why it's called hedgehogging not really sure. I suppose it's looks a bit spiky when you put the hinges on. :roll:
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by Steve N »

prospero wrote

"Why it's called hedgehogging not really sure. I suppose it's looks a bit spiky when you put the hinges on."


I thought it was the guy called Roy Roland (I think, not sure about the surname), who was associated with Lion Picture Framing Supplies, used to do workshops etc, Roy was the first to teach/ show this method, he owned a framing business with the name Hedghog in it, so that's how it was named

That' my explanation for it, and I'm sticking with it :rock:
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by prospero »

That sounds a lot more plausible than my interpretation. :lol: :Slap:
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by Steve N »

Thanks James, I knew I wasn't imagining it, just spelt his surname wrong :sweating: :giggle:
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by Keith Hewitt »

Thanks for the explanations Steve, Prospero and James.
Much appreciated.
Roy Rowlands aka Hedgehog Art & Framing is a well known character in our industry.
He has taught framing not only in UK but also in Italy, India and Indonesia
Roy is a very unassuming chap and I call him 001 - as he was the first to become a GCF, hence the GCF 001 :o
He tells an interesting story about the start up of the GCF and how they needed examiners, before he could become GCF 001
But I wont go into that here, and hijack the original thread.
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by Steve N »

Keith wrote
"Roy is a very unassuming chap and I call him 001 - as he was the first to become a GCF, hence the GCF 001"


Then you can call me 020 Keith :giggle:
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Re: Framing Chinese scrolls without a mount

Post by Keith Hewitt »

GCF 001 Roy Rowlands tells me ......

 I’m going to re-write the Hedgehog method of float mounting as there are one or two improvements I have made to the method,
and with luck it will be the FATG mag Art + Framing Today next year.
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