1.
picture scroll, illustrated narrative scroll
A horizontal scroll with illustrations, often telling a story. A major art form in classical Japan, combining painting with narrative text. Short for 絵巻物.
Usage
絵巻 is the short form of 絵巻物 (emakimono). These horizontal scrolls are read by unrolling them from right to left, revealing the narrative scene by scene. Famous examples include the 源氏物語絵巻 (Tale of Genji picture scroll) and the 鳥獣戯画 (Scrolls of Frolicking Animals).