Bamboo Weaving Art

I think many of you have seen this rain hat made of bamboo and probably associate it with Chinese peasants. In China hand weaving hats from bamboo is an ancient folk art, and one of the first styles was precisely the round rain hat, which was later adopted by the Red Army during World War II, becoming known as the Red Army Hat.

In China the Bamboo Waving Art obviously doesn`t limit itself to rain hats. The product range is actually very wide, and items are classified according to their form and function. Some examples include baskets, trays, jars, boxes, cases, vases, folding screens, models of animals and figures, buildings, furniture, lamps and lanterns, bags, toys, fans and mats. Some are graceful pieces of art for decoration or enjoyment and some are indispensable commodities.

Artisan weaving an elephant

China is rich in bamboo resources and has a long history of using and planting bamboos. The history of bamboo weaves can be even traced back to the Neolithic Age (around 6000 BC). Many relics of bamboo weaves (mainly baskets and other appliances for food storage) were found in Zhejiang Province archaeological sites, showing that bamboo weaves were widely used by people at the time.

Nowadays Sichuan Province, Hunan and Hubei Provinces, as well as Zhejiang Province are well-known for their distinctive bamboo products and bamboo weaving products, some of which are highly decorative. The style of the products often varies according to place of production. For example animal models are characteristic of Shengxian in Zhejiang province, woven surrounds for porcelain articles are from Chengdu and famous fans come from Zigong, Sichuan Province.

Lampshade from Shengxian

The craft of bamboo weaving is passed on to the apprentice by the master and it`s said that the apprentices need at least three years to learn the craft. 

Through many complicated working procedures, bamboo is cut into strips and pieces of various widths, thicknesses, lengths and sizes, and then woven into different patterns with techniques that require considerable skill and experience. A piece of bamboo joint can be cut into more than twenty pieces and each piece has its own usage. Bamboo weaving is also very strict in terms of choosing the bamboo,　different products must be made of bamboo in different growing period.

There are two kinds of bamboo splits used for weaving: bamboo threads, whose thickness and width are approximately equal, and bamboo strips, which are broad and extremely thin. 

Different kinds of bamboo splits and threads

Bamboo threads are mostly used for making articles such as baskets, boxes, bottles, jars and dolls, which are woven from the base upwards. After the base is finished the weaving continues spirally upwards. Bamboo strips are used for making bamboo mats and curtains, which are usually woven from the middle outwards to the borders and corners. Some products like lamps and hats are weaved over a mold.

Vase mold

Besides splitting, the bamboo goes through other procedures, for example, boiling is required to finalize the shape, soften the thin strips and avoid cracking. The strips also go through a plane to ensure the same thickness and through a conduit to ensure the same width. Finally, according to the design, there might be also procedures like dyeing, plating and polishing.

Unfortunately bamboo products have been mainly replaced by cheaper plastic and metal products, although in recent years bamboo baskets and many other bamboo weaves have gain back their popularity because of their environmentally friendly characteristics. Due to the fact that it regenerates very rapidly, bamboo is considered as a matter of fact a sustainable material and an incredibly durable alternative to our limited global supply of hardwood.

Bamboo weaves today have combined practical use and aesthetic functions, with many new products appearing. With nature becoming a dream for those people living in cities, holding a bamboo basket when going shopping might be a way of returning to a more natural life.

The pictures in this post were taken at DongFeng Bamboo Weaving Workshop in Zhejiang province, whose highly skilled artisans are renowned nationally and internationally. The owner of this workshop was awarded the title of National Bamboo Art Master and Zhejiang Arts and Crafts Master, and he`s one of the few remaining craftsman able to weave bamboo threads as thin as a human hair, creating amazing pieces of art.

Auspicious Flowers and Plants

Patterns with the images of plants and flowers are the most diversified and widely used, and many of them are combined with animals. Flower, branches and leaves are often depicted in odd number to convey the dynamic irregularity of the life force, and unopened buds are included among flowers in bloom to represent life’s continuous journey.

Bamboo (竹- Zhú)

Bamboo is a homophone for “congratulate”. As it can survive the hardest natural conditions and remains green all year round it`s also a symbol of longevity and vitality.

According to a folk tale, in the mountains of southern China lived creatures with human face, body of a monkey, one hand and one foot, who robbed fire from villages in winter. The villagers found out by chance that the cracking sound from burning bamboo frightened those creatures, so they started burning bamboo on New Year Eve to keep the creatures away and to pray for peace and safety, ritual which became a tradition. After gunpowder was invented bamboos were replaced by firecrackers, but the name was preserved: firecrackers are still called Bàozhú (爆竹), which means cracking bamboos. Designs with boys letting off firecrackers are very popular on New Year prints, paper cuts and porcelain, and symbolize the expelling of evil spirits and yearning for peace and safety.

Boys letting off firecrackers, detail of a vase, late Qing Dynasty

Plum blossom (梅花 - Méihuā)

As the first flower to bloom each year, the plum blossom stands for renewal and purity. The five petals of the plum blossom are auspicious, and stand for happiness, prosperity, longevity, bliss and wealth. 

Paper cut with plum flowers

Pine, bamboo and plum (歲寒三友 - Suìhánsānyǒu)

When shown together the pine, bamboo and plum are known as “The Three Friends of Winter”. Although they are of different families, the evergreen pine trees, the straight bamboo, as well as the plum tree that blossoms in winter, have a common character of nobility and fortitude. As all of them can brave the coldness in winter, they are symbols of longevity and perseverance, which are virtues attributed to the scholar-gentleman.

Three Friends of Winter, Zhao Mengjian

Chrysanthemum (菊花 - Júhuā)

Since ancient times the chrysanthemum has been one of the most favored flowers by Chinese scholars. It is a symbol of longevity because of its health-giving properties, hence the name “the flower of elegance and longevity”. During the Han dynasty, people drank chrysanthemum wine on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in order to prolong their lives. Nowadays, the Chinese continue to drink chrysanthemum petal tea for its health giving qualities. Chrysanthemum is also considered the hermit among all flowers, therefore it`s a symbol of virtuous men. It is also a symbol of many descendents and great blessings.

Chrysanthemums - ink and color on paper, Unidentified Artist
MET Online Collection

Lotus (荷- Hé, 莲 - Lián)

The lotus is a symbol of purity because it rises out of the mud to bloom, and is therefore also known as the “noblest flower”. In Buddhism, lotus is the holy flower and the embodiment of Pure Land, and after this religion was introduced in China, it became an important image of Buddhist decorations. Lotus blossoms are often depicted as a throne for the Buddha, and it is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism (八吉祥Bājíxiáng). The most commonly seen auspicious design featuring the lotus flower is the image of the lotus blossom with petals of different shape, symbolizing health and safety.

Green bowl and stand carved with green petals, Suzhou Museum

Peach (桃 - Táo)

A symbol of longevity, the peach is one of the most popular motifs found in art. The peach is a symbol of longevity, said to have grown in the orchard of the Queen Mother of the West (西王母 - Xīwángmǔ) on the Kunlun Mountain. According to the legend, it takes three thousand years for the trees to blossom and another three thousand years for them to bear fruits. On her birthday, the Queen Mother of the West would host a banquet where the immortals are invited to taste the peaches. It is from one of these banquets that Monkey King Sun Wukong stole the peaches and got into a lot of trouble, but that`s another story. The God of longevity worshiped by the Chinese is often depicted as having fresh peaches one hand and walking stick in the other.

Plate with Peach and Bat Pattern, Qing Dynasty
source: Asian Art Museum

Peony (牧丹 - Mù dān)

The peony is a plant native to China and, due to its gorgeous blossoms, is known as the “king of the flowers”. The peony is a symbol of royalty and virtue and it is also called the “flower of wealth and honor” (富貴花- Fùguìhuā). Designs bearing this meaning often feature the peony in combination with magnolia flowers and Chinese crab apple branches (which looks like a cherry).

Read the introduction about Auspicious Symbols and Designs.
Back to Part 1 - Auspicious Beasts and Birds.