DIA400xH150mm, China
This is a bamboo weave box normally used for storing small items and for keeping offerings. The lacquer coating on the interior makes the box more air tight. The lacquer on the gives the opportunity for gold line decorative painting to be drawn on top if any.
DIA330xH200mm, China
This is a beautifully weaved bamboo basket, it would have been used for keeping fruits or any offering that would require airing.
The traditional bamboo weaving apprenticeship training is hard; for the first 3 years weaving is taught an practice by making bamboo mat. Only when it has been perfected, one is then taught on more complex object like basket. The training takes about 10-12 years when one mastered skills and techniques of all kind of bamboo objects is qualified to be a bamboo artisan. These kind of training and craftsmanship is fading in China as youngsters see better prospect in blooming factories in the city.
DIA70xL160mm, China
This is a Chinese version of the thaumatrope; by pulling the string that is attached to the axial of the circular frame, the image inside the frame will turn over and over again. The 2 images from both side of the frame will appear as 1 due to the persistence of vision. The momentum of the spin will cause the axial to spin at the reverse direction result in a prolong animation.
click on me!
L550xW80mm, China
This is a chinese traditional scale used for measuring light weight items such as gold or herbs. The scale work by the concept of a lever; the item to be weight on one end and the weight on the other. The weight is slide along until the scale is balanced and from the markings of on the rod, the weight of the item can be told. The small red tassels are the points for pivots, changing the pivot points will give provide a different range for the scale. This is a portable scale with a custom made bamboo casing. The earliest found scale was dated around 700BC; the unit weight for the scale has been changing since, this scale is based on 16 tael to 1 catty, 1 tael = app 37.8g which is the current unit used for the hong kong wet market.
DIA360xH110, China
Bamboo basket (tray like) used to be a common household item; in the days when refrigerator is not so common, the weaving of the bamboo strips avoid trap moisture and made the vegetable and fruit stored last longer. Apart from the everyday use, the bamboo tray basket also feature on the wedding day, when the bride leaves her parents home a respected female of the family will use the bamboo basket to shield the bride from the sun.
W140xL180xH160mm, China
Everyone must have seen the dragon dance during Chinese New Year, ever wonder how the dragon head is constructed? Here is a miniature version of the bamboo structure that goes under the paper or cloth constructed skin (which belongs to a dragon kite). Bamboo stripes are bend and tied together at junction points with a paper knot. For the actual performance piece the structure will be will be stronger and bolder. The body is made with piece of red cloth with resembled the scale of the dragon, with rods every 1.8m apart for the dancers to control the body. The length between the head and the tail can go up to 4m. Another dancer will raise a sphere for the dragon to chase.
In a traditional dragon dance, in a ceremony the body of the dragon will be invited out from the Dragon King Temple, the head and the tail will be attached and only then will the eyes be drawn on the dragon. Dragon is a creature both respected and feared by the Chinese, being the leader of the 4 spiritual creatures, it is believed to be able to control the sea and the weather, make it calm and peaceful or cause the wave to become furious. After the performances of the dragon dance, the head and the tail will be dismantled and burnt, only the body will returned to the temple to be kept for next year’s dragon dance.
W400xH250mm, China
The folding fan was introduced to China from Japan in the Song dynasty; they were a gift from monk Chonen to the Emperor. Emperor Zhu Di lead on the fan fashion, he ordered the court to produce a large number of hand fans, decorated with poems or verses and award the to the high officials. This became to the trend of the intellectuals, exchanging poems and calligraphy through the fans as a gesture of friendship. Even the Qing dynasty, the fashion of hand fan was well in its height. This is a fan from the 50s, a Bai Ju Yi poem about parenthood was added by my father recently.
DIA150xH300mm, China
Gourd is kind of squash, its latin name is Lagenaria Siceraria, traditionally the Chinese view it as an icon of blessing. It has been with the Chinese culture for a long long time, its seeds were found at a Zhe Jiang 5000BC archaeological site, the hollowed out dried skin is probably the first liquid container used before pottery and bronze. It is also commonly used in the old days to store medicine, there is an old say, “wonder what kind of potion is stored in this gourd” meaning a suspicion of someone up to something.
The gourd used for the basket is not of the common “8” shape (see entry Small Gourd) form but a more rounded shape, which is a species from Japan.
L300xW120xH400mm, China
Deer is a symbol of blessing in China; deer in Chinese sounds like “lu” which means fortune and the salary for a emperor’s officials. This is a bamboo weaved deer container, zoom in closer and you will appreciate how the fine bamboo threads are.
H250xW90xD30mm, China
Tobacco has been introduced to China in the Ming dynasty; imported from the Philippines, Japan and locally from Fu Jian. Water pipe has been a popular pass time in the Qing dynasty. Empress Dowager Ci Xi is a lover of the water pipe and a has a large collection. This is a peasant’s water pipe, made with bamboo as a material; the bamboo are natural in its smooth finish and in the shape, true to nature without any alteration. The fancy type will be made of copper-nickel, copper, bronze, pewter with the mouth piece with jade or agate. The Chinese believed that water is a good filter for the impurity and toxin of the tobacco. However, the water is not changed often, after a while the water are filled with tar and becomes gluey (and possibly toxic), peasants will apply a few drop to ticks which would let go of their bite, the ticks will drop off instantly.
TOBACCO SERIOUSLY DAMAGES HEALTH
Mountain Folkcraft 