Small – L290xW170xH180mm
Medium – L350xW200xH260mm,
Large – 420xW260xH300, China
A bamboo basket constructed by large bamboo strips rather then the weaving method.
This gives the basket a much bolder and simplistic style.
Amongst the unique pottery, you will also find Mountain Folkcraft’s collection at the Cobo Ceramic Workshop X’mas Sale.
COBO CERAMIC WORKSHOP
1/F Fortune Court, 33 Morrison Hill Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
5 – 9 Dec 2014 (Fri – Tue)
13:00-20:00
DIA300xH450mm, China
A traditional Chinese hamper for delivering delicious goodies. Unlike the gift hamper that one receive nowadays, the hamper is not a part of the gift and would need to be return to the owner. Not only is it return but it is also expected to contain a red packet, a return gift in monetary form, “砸籃” (weighting the basket). In the traditional Cantonese gift etiquette, when receiving a food item as a gift, one would give a red packet to the giver, this is known as “砸” (za), the term that originate from the gift basket.
DIA230xH120mm, China
This bamboo weaved basket is known as a Wu Fu, a basket for storing charcoal for brewing tea. It use can be dated back to the “Book of Tea” by the Tang Dynasty scholar Gu yuan Qing. The name Wu Fu is sophisticated way of refer to the charcoal basket, the word “wu” means black, dirt – which is the charcoal, the word “fu” is a grand mansion – the humble basket.
DIA260xH320mm, China
A lacquered bamboo weaved basket which forms part of the dowry of the young bride and an essential household object. These form of baskets are used for storing food before the arrival of the refrigerator. Precious food item like fresh vegetables, fruits, eggs, would be placed inside the basket and hung under the beam of the kitchen. The basket provide good airing and being suspended will stopped vermin from reaching the food.
DIA320xH120mm, China
A moving film about the master bamboo artistan, Hiroshima Kazuo, about being an artisan, about crafts.
W250xD250xH400mm, China
This is a double deck bamboo basket for food storage. It is for carrying food stuff goodies as a gift for relative and friends, a kind of xmas hamper. Upon receiving the gift a red packet thank you note would be sent back to the sender.
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.
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.
D180xH180mm, China
It used to be as popular as the electrical kettle, every big family would have one in the house. The teapot with tea already brewed would be kept warm in this rattan weaved basket. Inside the basket is padded with cloth with only a custom made void for the teapot. The tea cozy was invented in the Qing dynasty, some are weaved with rattan, some of reed and some straw. The ratten is first cleaned and the knots untied, the skin is removed and the core polished. The cozy is decorated with bronze accessory which unfortunately most are no longer on this piece.
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.
Mountain Folkcraft 