"People need clothes, Buddha needs gold." The same is true for calligraphy and painting. If unframed calligraphy and painting are hung, the overall appearance will not be more beautiful, and the characteristics will not be more distinctive. But if the clothes are not made to fit and match, it will be counterproductive. Therefore, the mounting of paintings and calligraphy is a very professional craft. It is not as simple as mending shoes and clothes. It has developed into a traditional industry.
On the other hand, Chinese calligraphy and painting are mainly created on raw silk or rice paper. The material is thin and easily broken. Starting from the practical needs of reinforcement, they also need to be framed and reinforced to facilitate preservation and viewing. Many precious calligraphy, paintings, and even books, inscriptions, etc. from the past dynasties can survive to this day, despite various reasons. However, the most critical point is that it has been framed and protected on the back and around it with materials such as paper, damask, and silk.
In addition, the calligraphy and painting are exquisite, and only after being framed can they be radiant and vivid. Not only is it the icing on the cake, it can also improve the artistic effect of the work. Mr. Fu Baoshi once said in the article "The Difficulty of Mounting a Painting": "As a work of art, apart from the artistic level of the picture being determined by the painter, mounting is the most important step." Although it is a bit exaggerated to say that painting is divided into seven parts for mounting, we can also understand the close relationship between mounting and calligraphy and painting. In short, Chinese calligraphy and painting cannot be considered a complete work of art without mounting.