Alleymae

Popular Combinations

Too many options? Keep it simple and click on one of these popular combinations below.
Make a selection here, then carefully choose your calligrapher before adding this to your shopping cart.

My Signature
Style

Old
Faithful

Lucky
Wedding

Buddha's
Delight

Byzantine
Dreams

Gary's notes on these combinations:

My Signature Style is one I created for my own artwork. It was so popular at my walk-in gallery that I made it an option here.
The Old Faithful goes with almost any decor and is easy on the budget.
The red paper of Lucky Wedding is good for any festive occasion - with red being the good luck color of China.
Buddhist text is often written on orange paper, thus the Buddha's Delight combination.
Take a walk down the Silk Road to the wild west of China with Bizantine Dreams. It's blue/gold brocade changes color depending on how the light hits it.

Calligraphers

The recommended calligraphers for this title are Master Calligrapher Bishou Imai, or Calligrapher Kougetsu of Japan.

Sorry, this particular title cannot be written by the Chinese economy calligrapher.

Artwork Mounting Format

Scrolls

If in doubt, choose a vertical wall scroll.

Vertical Wall Scroll

Horizontal Wall Scroll

Hand Scroll

I recommend that you choose a vertical wall scroll for most situations. Just one nail or hook in your wall, unroll it, and you are done.

Horizontal wall scrolls take special care to hang properly. The nails or hooks must be perfectly spaced on your wall (too close and the scroll droops, too far apart and you can't hang it or you tear it).

Hand scrolls are also known as "Table Scrolls" and are very unusual. These cannot be hung on a wall. They are for display laying on a table or inside a glass case only.

Portraits

Vertical Portrait
$20 less

Horizontal Portrait
$20 less

If you choose a portrait format, you will need to frame this artwork after it arrives at your home. That can be expensive!

Artwork Size and Number of Character Columns

X-Small -$4

1 Column*
2 Columns

Approximate Widths...
Paper: 20cm (8")
At Silk Edges: 29cm (11½")
At Knobs: 39cm (15½")

Small -$2

1 Column*
2 Columns

Approximate Widths...
Paper: 27cm (10½")
At Silk Edges: 37cm (14½")
At Knobs: 46cm (18")

Medium  

1 Column*
2 Columns

Approximate Widths...
Paper: 33cm (13")
At Silk Edges: 43cm (17")
At Knobs: 52cm (20½")

Large +$17 

1 Column*
2 Columns

Approximate Widths...
Paper: 50cm (19½")
At Silk Edges: 60cm (23½")
At Knobs: 69cm (27¼")

Jumbo +$35 

1 Column
2 Columns*

Approximate Widths...
Paper: 68cm (26¾")
At Silk Edges: 78cm (30¾")
At Knobs: 87cm (34¼")

*Recommended number of columns for best length, balance, and value.

Measurements at wooden knobs shown above apply only to vertical wall scrolls.
Measurements are approximate, and be reduced by as much as 1.5cm (¾") when trimmed during the mounting process.

The size options above are based on width (not length). The length will follow a "natural flow" which is determined by the number of characters, number of columns, and in some cases the style of calligraphy.

Calligraphy Writing Style

Handmade Xuan Paper Color/Texture

A single color is simple, elegant, & economical.

Silk Brocade Color

Turn your artwork into a visually-stunning two-toned masterpiece!

Pick a color here that contrasts nicely with your main color and expresses your personal style.

Two-Tone / Inner-Silk Color +$7

Please note that all computer monitors display colors differently. In real life, the white is pure white, and the ivory has a warm yellow hue - some would call this "antique white". Please note that the medium green can vary widely in color!

The shade and pattern of these materials varies from time to time as we receive new batches from the loom/mill.

Accent Lines

This is just a little accent of keylines that can be added to the top and bottom silk panels.
The charge of $1 for each is mostly to cover the extra labor of this option.

Gold Strips +$6

This adds strips of fancy gold ribbon above and below the characters on the xuan paper.

Inscription +$9

Choose inscription option/location:

You can add an inscription such as your names (for couples or families) or a special salutation.
We'll transliterate your names or translate your phrase into Mandarin Chinese and have the calligrapher add it to your artwork.

Please try to make your inscription one clear and complete thought or sentence (with subject, verb, and object) or a couple of names arranged like: "Dick and Jane", or "Dick and Jane, married Oct 1st, 2002".
Inscriptions longer than 1 sentence may require an extra charge.

Because you have chosen a Chinese calligrapher, your inscription must be written in Chinese with few exceptions. Inscriptions cannot be hand-written in English. However, you can email me if you need a Giclée print created that contains some English.

Special Instructions

Common requests from customers:
1. Please match length with other wall scrolls on my order if possible.
2. This is a gift, please send information about this title for the recipient.
3. Adjust as needed to make wall scroll no longer than ____ feet.

I try to accommodate every special request whenever possible or practical.
I'll email you if there's a problem with your request.

Delivery Schedule

As of Dec 14th, 2024

Keep in mind that you've selected a Japanese master calligrapher. This takes a little longer because in most cases, the raw calligraphy must be shipped from Japan to our workshop in Beijing, and then to you. This is how we save you about $100 compared to typical Japanese calligraphy, but it does take longer.

I suggest you skip the rush service right now. I cannot offer a guarantee other than a promise that we will make every effort to deliver your order ASAP.

It's December 2024, and I can't believe it, but we are still overcoming a lot of COVID-19 issues. Right now, the main problem is the lack of passenger aircraft flying out of Beijing. Mail usually travels in the bellies of those aircraft. Less aircraft = backed up mail service.
Please allow for a delay of about three weeks past the timeframes shown above.

If Rush Service is late, get up to 3 times your rush fee back:
If I deliver late, just let me know and you'll get triple your rush fees back ($30) in a gift certificate (or double if you want a direct refund instead).