How to Write 裱 (biǎo) — Meaning “to mount (a painting or calligraphy)”

Picture a piece of calligraphy being covered with a sheet of cloth (衤) to protect its surface (表). The word "biǎo" sounds like "billboard" — imagine a framed billboard mounting a painting.

The left radical 衤 has a dot first, then horizontal, vertical, and a left-falling stroke — keep it narrow. The right side 表 has two horizontal strokes at the top, then a vertical stroke, and a final hook-like stroke (乛) before the last two strokes; make sure the right side is wider than the left.

裱 (biǎo) means to mount art, while 袱 (fú) means a cloth bundle or wrapper, and 袴 (kù) means trousers or pants. Visually, 裱 has 表 on the right, 袱 has 伏 (fú), and 袴 has 夸 (kuà) — each right side gives different sound and meaning.

裱 is used in art studios and workshops when mounting or framing Chinese paintings and calligraphy on paper or silk. It is also part of the traditional craft of 装裱 (zhuāng biǎo), which requires special skills to preserve and display artwork beautifully.

Common words containing 裱 include: 裱画 (biǎo huà) — to mount a painting; 裱框 (biǎo kuāng) — to frame (a picture or painting); 装裱 (zhuāng biǎo) — To mount (a painting or calligraphy).