User:Ben342324/Bambooworking

China[edit]

Brush holder with motifs of longevity, signed by Yuxuan, Qing dynasty, approx. 1600-1644, bamboo root Bamboo's long life makes it a Chinese symbol of uprightness. The rarity of its blossoming has led to the flowers' being regarded as a sign of impending famine. This may be due to rats feeding upon the profusion of flowers, then multiplying and destroying a large part of the local food supply. In Chinese culture, the bamboo, plum blossom, orchid, and chrysanthemum (often known as méi lán zhú jú 梅兰竹菊) are collectively referred to as the Four Gentlemen. These four plants also represent the four seasons and, in Confucian ideology, four aspects of the junzi ("prince" or "noble one"). The pine (sōng 松), the bamboo (zhú 竹), and the plum blossom (méi 梅) are also admired for their perseverance under harsh conditions, and are together known as the "Three Friends of Winter" (岁寒三友 suìhán sānyǒu) in Chinese culture. Bamboo, one of the "Four Gentlemen" (bamboo, orchid, plum blossom and chrysanthemum), plays such an important role in traditional Chinese culture that it is even regarded as a behavior model of the gentleman. As bamboo has features such as uprightness, tenacity, and hollow heart, people endow bamboo with integrity, elegance, and plainness, though it is not physically strong. Countless poems praising bamboo written by ancient Chinese poets are actually metaphorically about people who exhibited these characteristics. According to laws, the Tang dynasty Chinese poet, Bai Juyi (772–846), thought that to be a gentleman, a man does not need to be physically strong, but he must be mentally strong, upright, and perseverant. Just as a bamboo is hollow-hearted, he should open his heart to accept anything of benefit and never have arrogance or prejudice.

Professor's comment: This part of the article has no references at all. You might see if some of the sources used already contain some or all of this information, and use that to provide sources.

Bamboo Carving [Selena]

introduction

Bamboo carving, which originated in the Jiangnan region of China and developed into a specialized art form in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, is the process of designing and creating motifs on the surface or root of bamboo using a variety of knife techniques. As a unique material craft, bamboo carving is a representation of elite Chinese literati culture.  On the desks of the ancient Han literati, the implements created using bamboo carving skills are known as the stationery. The literati frequently wrote poetry to laud the fine aesthetic appearance of bamboo-carved stationery and the splendor of the embellished themes despite the fact that they were useful products, highlighting the particular cultural significance of bamboo. As a sort of visual narrative, bamboo-carved stationery depicts landscape elements within a specific spatial context.  The Han cultural and artistic consciousness is embodied in this process.  Bamboo cutting is still regarded in Chinese arts and crafts as a material cultural icon.

Origin and history

The three animal-footed bamboo symbol (san shou zu zhu wen diao), discovered during the Western Zhou Dynasty (771–1046 BCE) excavation of a Chu tomb, is the earliest known bamboo carving craft discovered to date.    This carving tool made of bamboo displays simple artistic designs.   Bamboo was first just utilized for its usefulness as a material for writing or carving simple designs. But over time, it transformed into a particular craft within the field of decorative arts.  As these objects were typically carved by folk craftsmen and featured decorative elements, craftsmanship and artistry in folk crafts were frequently discussed in the same context in ancient China.   As their scope shifted from one of craftsmanship to one of art, bamboo-carved stationery items gained exquisite decorative features.   Bamboo-carving craftsmen developed from being artisans to being bamboo-carving artists thanks to their plethora of imaginative ideas and carving skills.   The literati frequently utilized bamboo carvings as stationery, and there are many different types of carved bamboo stationery, including brush-pots, pens, paperweights, water containers, armrests, and more. This classification distinguishes it from the bamboo weaving folk craft and has cultural importance.   The bamboo carver Zhu He (1506–1566) is credited with developing a variety of bamboo cutting techniques that allowed him to express three-dimensional designs that appeared to be painted during the middle of the Ming Dynasty.   The appeal of bamboo carving dates back to the middle of the Ming dynasty and may be seen in the variety of forms and subjects used.   The carvings on the bamboo stationery used by the mid-Ming and early Qing literati have worth both as functional objects and works of art.  Bamboo carvings underwent a shift from functional instruments to decorative stationery throughout the mid-Min g and Qing Dynasties. Many genres were developed during this time, including the Jiading genre in Shanghai and the Jinling genre in Nanjing Zhu He was the creator of the Jiading genre of bamboo carving, using various knife techniques to portray his imagined three-dimensional craft motif in actual space and replicate other artists' work. painting techniques. He used a knife to replicate the brushstrokes when carving the motif in the bamboo. He also replicated the concept of the artwork. The various types of bamboo cutting techniques imaginatively change flat painting into three-dimensional space sculpture. For instance, the carved bamboo brush container has a traditional spatial shape, whereas the carved bamboo pen holder has an exquisite design, a hollowed-out interior, and flexible material. To produce delicate designs on a three-dimensional surface, one must use an advanced knife technique.Bamboo cutting rapidly progressed from a folk craft to a kind of art that the Chinese royal family found admirable.As a folk craft item, bamboo carving moved from the common people to the court, and its advancement coincided with both the emperor's aesthetic preferences and the belief in Confucian culture. Since different cultures can bring the same senses, the senses of bamboo carving must therefore be met by the Han culture.2005's The emperor commissioned the establishment of a workshop (zao ban chu) in the first year of Yongzheng (1723) to produce goods for his household, staffed with painters and artisans he cherished. Feng Xilu, a master of bamboo carving, was invited to the palace to create items out of the material, and this phenomenon made it possible for bamboo carving and painting to interact more frequently, further elevating bamboo carving's artistic status.

Chinese literati and cultural phenomenon

The bamboo sculptures' landscape motif reflects the literati's spiritual quest for idea-image. The social structure evolved and the south became the region's economic center in the 18th century. The numerous craftspeople, painters, and intellectuals who congregated in the Jiangnan region started to communicate often, which influenced the change from painting to craft. The connection between the paintings and the carving implements used during this time is the literati's spiritual quest. Literati artists looked for Taoism in nature in the early Ming Dynasty (1368–1435), while later painters used idea-image to communicate Confucianism. The proverb "The wise man enjoys water, and the benevolent man enjoys mountains" (Zhi zhe le shan, ren zhe le shui) is said to be true. The literati started to seek idea-imagery as an escape from reality.  As the free individual consciousness ranged from landscape painting to the landscape motif in bamboo carving, this was the start of the literati's and the painter's individual will becoming embodied. The intricate spatial ideology of the literat is expressed in the aesthetic perception of landscape space.The value of bamboo-carved stationery has increased due to the literati's shifting identities. During the political turmoil of China's mid-Ming dynasty, the literati were not only suppressed by the imperial powers but also suffered a change in status as the distinction between literati, merchants, and craftsmen started to blur .    During this time, the literary elite started obsessively collecting artifacts as a way to escape from reality and started comparing themselves more frequently to the bamboo culture. The ancient Chinese regarded bamboo as having unique spiritual importance , and Shuowen Jiezias characterized it as "a winter-born grass... All the characters with bamboo belong to the scope of bamboo". In Chinese characters, bamboo is widely employed as a radical, and Literati composed numerous poems praising it. During this time, the literary elite started obsessively collecting artifacts as a way to escape from reality and started comparing themselves more frequently to the bamboo culture. The ancient Chinese regarded bamboo as having unique spiritual importance, and Shuowen Jiezias characterized it as "a winter-born grass... All the characters with bamboo belong to the scope of bamboo". Literati composed numerous poems praising bamboo and comparing it to a gentleman because bamboo is widely employed as a radical in Chinese characters. Bamboo is like a kind person, why is that? asks Chinese poet Bai Juyi in his poem "The Story of Raising Bamboo" (Yang zhu ji). Bamboo gradually gained popularity among elite writers during the Ming and Qing eras and was known as bamboo-carved stationery. Although the literati also used writing implements made of other materials, there were more than a dozen different types of bamboo-only writing implements in use during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Numerous bamboo-carved stationery items have survived to the present day, demonstrating the literati's widespread and popular use of this material at the time. These physical and spiritual attributes may be the reason why bamboo-carved stationery was so well received by intellectuals and artists of bamboo carving in the middle Ming and Qing dynasties. Bamboo gradually gained popularity among elite writers during the Ming and Qing eras and was known as bamboo-carved stationery. Although the literati also used writing implements made of other materials, there were more than a dozen different types of bamboo-only writing implements in use during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Numerous bamboo-carved stationery items have survived to the present day, demonstrating the literati's widespread and popular use of this material at the time. These physical and spiritual attributes may be the reason why bamboo-carved stationery was so well received by intellectuals and artists of bamboo carving in the middle Ming and Qing dynasties. In addition to carving themes, bamboo carvers like Zhou Hao and Cai Zhao started to develop their own aesthetic literacy and cultural accomplishment at the same time. Zhou Hao masterfully grafted the painting effects and techniques of the Nan zong genre and Bei zong genre landscape theme onto sculptures. Additionally, the literati and bamboo carvers started working together. A prime example was the connection between bamboo carver Cai Zhao and painter Ren Xiong. Ren Xiong, a native of the province of Xiaoshan, was an accomplished landscape and figure painter with a graceful and endearing aesthetic. Cai Zhao, meanwhile, was skilled in carving seals, knowledgeable about identifying ancient gold and stone inscriptions, and skilled in carving bamboo. He was skilled in carving bamboo and wood. Zhao and Xiong spared no effort when working together to produce art, with the former carving the painting that Xiong had painted on the bamboo. For the bamboo carving on the stationery, they employed a method known as the embossed technique (fu diao), which made the image appear uncontrolled. Cai Zhao's knifework is both soft and strong, leaving no unnecessary trace of the blade on the surface. This piece of art illustrates the social and cultural interactions between writers, painters, and bamboo carvers throughout this time.The Han bamboo culture's symbolic significance and the literati's desire to explore their spiritual yearning for outdoor scenery led to the copying of landscape painting in bamboo carving motif. The landscape motifs of both bamboo carving and landscape painting share a very comparable spiritual quest.

The decline of the bamboo carving

Due to the influence of Chinese social and political culture, bamboo carvings' identities have undergone enormous alterations throughout the 20th century.  It has evolved from useful office supplies to intangible cultural heritage.  On the one hand, bamboo carving is no longer able to satisfy the aesthetic requirements of mass marketization due to this loss in character.  On the other hand, in order to adhere to the market model of mass manufacturing, bamboo cutting techniques are getting worse and worse.  This condition is what caused bamboo carving to be disjointed in the 20th century.  In fact, the Han literati culture is thought to include the pictorial carving method used in bamboo cutting.  Although ancient bamboo carving is primarily the work of literati, it has gradually gained acceptance as a form of material cultural artwork and is now used by the general public. As such, bamboo carving should preserve its own distinctive spiritual and cultural legacy, continually innovate and modify bamboo carving techniques, and replicate the resurgence of bamboo carving art.

Protection and inheritance of Chinese bamboo craft

Bamboo craft, a traditional Chinese handcraft with a long history and excellent craftsmanship, is a significant component of traditional folk art. The southern provinces of China are known for their bamboo crafts, with Sichuan, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Hubei province being the most well-known. Bamboo craft can be split into two groups based on the many methods used to carry out and express artistic endeavors: weaving and carving, each of which has distinctive national and regional artistic features. But as economic society develops quickly and Western dominant culture spreads, many traditional handicrafts are gradually losing popularity.Many traditional techniques have been included in the list of "intangible cultural heritage" at the national, provincial, city, and county levels as a result of the thorough development of this protection, and the policy of "protection-oriented, rescue first, rational use, inheritance, and development" has been established. The ancient artistry of bamboo, which is directly linked to human production and daily life, has therefore attracted a lot of interest. For instance, the "intangible cultural heritage" protection list includes bamboo crafts such Zhangshuiquan weaving from bamboo in Wuxue, Hubei Province, Xiaoyu craft from bamboo in Yiyang, Hunan Province, Liuqing carving from bamboo in Changzhou, and porcelain bamboo craft from bamboo in Sichuan. On the one hand, bamboo goods that are part of the "intangible cultural heritage" must continue to innovate using traditional handcraft techniques.However, the key to safeguarding bamboo art and ensuring its heirloom status as well as development is to draw inspiration from traditional bamboo techniques, find a point of convergence with the design of contemporary bamboo products, and meet the aesthetic needs of modern people.