Hanging Chinese paintings at home.

Frame, panel or scroll

Everything we sell arrives ready to hang, in one of two forms. Framed works are behind glass with a mat or silk surround, and hang from a wire or a pair of hangers like any picture. Mounted panels are paintings laid down on a rigid board with a silk surround and a slim edge, without glass; they are lighter, and they show the paper's surface, but they should stay out of kitchens and bathrooms. We do not currently sell loose hanging scrolls, which need re-rolling and a dry cupboard, but if you have one we are glad to advise.

Height

Hang so that the center of the painting sits about 57 to 60 inches from the floor. That is eye height for most people standing, and it is where museums hang. Above a sofa, leave six to eight inches between the top of the sofa back and the bottom of the frame. Tall works can be hung a little higher than the rule, since the eye enters them at the bottom and travels up.

Pairs and groups

Two tall works hung side by side, at the same height and with a gap of four to six inches, read as a pair and are stronger than either alone. A long horizontal belongs over a long piece of furniture and looks lost on an empty wall. Tall works suit the narrow wall between two windows, the end of a hallway, or a stairwell. Do not mix a framed work and an unglazed panel in a pair; the reflections give it away.

Light

Keep paper out of direct sunlight. Ink is stable, but the colors fade over years in a sunny window, and the paper yellows. Ordinary room light and LED fittings are fine. Picture lights should be LED, not halogen, and at least a foot from the surface.

Humidity

Paper is happiest between 40 and 55 per cent relative humidity, which is a normal house. Avoid hanging directly above a radiator or a heating vent, on the wall of a bathroom with a shower, or in a basement without dehumidification. A powder room is fine. A mounted panel may develop a slight wave in a very dry winter and flatten again by spring; this is the paper breathing, not a fault.

Cleaning

Dust glazed works with a dry microfiber cloth. Clean the glass with a little cleaner sprayed onto the cloth, never onto the frame. For unglazed panels, a soft, dry brush and nothing else. Never water, never solvents, never a damp cloth on paper.

Storage and moving

Keep the crate for a month after delivery; if you need to return or move a work, it is the right box. Store works flat or standing upright, wrapped in a clean sheet, in a dry room, never in an attic or a garage. Mounted panels must not be rolled.

If something goes wrong

A cracked glass, a mark on a mat or a loose hanger are all easy to fix and we will tell you how, or arrange it. A mark on the paper itself should be left alone and photographed; write to us before touching it.