Literati mounting is a mounting style that was popular in China during the Ming dynasty and was used for literati paintings. In Japan, as Japanese began to admire the philosophy of literary persons in the Edo period, many literati style paintings were made, and literati mounting became popular. The different kinds of literati mounting include fukuro-mounting, Ming-style mounting, and mikiri mounting.

“Fukuro” mounting is the format in which one type of fabric is used to surround the main work. In this mounting format, there are some styles that use “ichimonji” (two long strips of cloth put on the top and bottom of the main work), a “suji-mawashi” (thin, line-like cloth enclosure), or an “ichimonji-mawashi” (enclosure which surrounds the work with same cloth as ichimonji). It is a common point in the mounting format that there is no “fuutai” (a pair of strips of cloths hanging from the top). Fukuro mounting with ichimonji is often called “maru” mounting, and with ichimonji and suji-mawashi, it is often called “honbukuro” mounting.

Min-style mounting is the mounting format in which narrow edges called “minchou” are attached to the left and right sides of the mounting. A mounting format with wide minchou is called “futo-minchou” mounting. When the same cloth is used for “ten-chi” (top and bottom), a “naka-mawashi” (inner enclosure), and “ichimonji” (two long strips of cloth put on the top and bottom of the main work), “suji” (thin, line-like strips) are inserted in each section. This mounting format is called “tou” mounting.

In this mounting format, “ten-chi” (top and bottom) surround the main work. A “naka-mawashi” (inner enclosure) is attached only directly above and below “ichimonji,” not around all four sides. When the “hashira” (pillars) are on the wide side, the mounting format is called “douhoe-mikiri.” When the hashira are on the narrow side, the mounting format is called “rinpoe-mikiri.”

The basics of mounting in general are according to the statement above, but its style is sometimes changed by the judgement of “hyougushi,” who make “kakejiku” (hanging scrolls). Hyougushi are often entrusted to select the mounting style that seems best.