Bamboo Weaving
01 · Historical Records
During the Tianshun era of the Ming dynasty, Shu mats were sent to the capital as tribute and were deeply praised by the emperor, thereby earning the fine reputation of “Longshu Tribute Mats.”
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Shucheng County in Anhui Province lies between the Yangtze and Huai rivers, with a northern subtropical humid climate and much sandy soil, which is suitable for the growth of bamboo. Among the people of Shucheng there has been a traditional skill of weaving bamboo mats since ancient times, and the long-famous Shu mat originated here. Shu mats have a long history: traces of bamboo mats have been found in Warring States-period tombs within Shucheng, and complete bamboo mats were once excavated from Western Han tombs, whose texture and craftsmanship are basically the same as those of Shu mats of later times. Shu mats are made with water bamboo as the raw material, small-leaf water bamboo being especially good for weaving. From the selection of materials to the finished mat, fifteen process steps are required: cutting materials, opening the bamboo, splitting strips, trimming the ends, scoring strips, removing the yellow layer, tearing evenly, steaming and boiling, dyeing, scraping strips, drawing designs, making patterns, weaving, finishing the edges, and inspection. The finished Shu mats are bright in color, soft and smooth, with fine strip patterns; they do not break when folded or rolled, and are easy to carry. Traditional Shu mat products were mainly sleeping mats; in modern times new varieties have been developed, including tatami mats, pillow mats, children’s mats, cushion mats, sofa-cover mats, mats woven with figure and calligraphy paintings, mural mats, and tea-table mats. They are not only a practical summer commodity but also an elegant handicraft: calligraphy and paintings, ancient and modern, can all be woven into the mats, and the resulting images are natural and beautiful, breathtaking to behold. Because Shu mat production is technically difficult and the apprenticeship period long, young people are unwilling to learn and inherit it. At present the weaving technicians of Shucheng are growing old, and Shu mat production lacks successors; there is an urgent hope that relevant parties will take effective measures to ensure the smooth transmission of this outstanding folk craft.
Archival Record of Working Procedures
From the selection of materials to the finished mat, fifteen process steps are required: cutting materials, opening the bamboo, splitting strips, trimming the ends, scoring strips, removing the yellow layer, tearing evenly, steaming and boiling, dyeing, scraping strips, drawing designs, making patterns, weaving, finishing the edges, and inspection.
The fifteen steps of Shu mats
From small-leaf water bamboo, a Shu mat passes through fifteen steps from cutting to final inspection, and rolls up without cracking.
Calligraphy and painting woven into mats
Calligraphy and paintings can be woven into the mats; besides sleeping mats, the makers now produce cushions, wall panels and picture mats.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Shu mats are produced in the area of Shucheng County, Anhui Province. The locality lies between the Yangtze and Huai rivers, with a northern subtropical humid climate and much sandy soil, suitable for the growth of bamboo, and farming households have long had the custom of weaving bamboo mats. Today the Shucheng County Cultural Center undertakes the project’s protection and transmission work, and weaving is mostly carried out in family workshops. Shu mats were formerly known as “Longshu Tribute Mats”; after being offered as tribute they enjoyed great fame for a time, and since the late Qing dynasty they gradually became an important sideline for Shucheng farming households during the agricultural off-season, with material selection, strip scoring, and weaving divided among the household’s laborers.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Shengzhou Bamboo Weaving · Bamboo Weaving · Bamboo Weaving · Bamboo Weaving · Bamboo Weaving · Bamboo Weaving · Bamboo Weaving · Bamboo Weaving · Bamboo Weaving · Bamboo Weaving · Bamboo Weaving.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Used in summer, it provides coolness and absorbs sweat; it neither rots nor is moth-eaten, and it is durable over long use, so its practical value is extremely high. Shu mat products are now exported to Southeast Asia and other countries and regions, and are deeply loved by people at home and abroad. Su Chengjun (official archive record of the associated inheritor): Male, Han ethnicity, born in May 1969 in Shucheng County, Anhui Province. He later resigned from his post to establish his own Shu mat weaving factory, whose products are exported to Southeast Asia, South Korea, Japan, and elsewhere. On the basis of inheriting traditional weaving techniques, he has attempted to improve the processing methods for Shu mat raw materials, working out the optimal period for felling the small-leaf water bamboo used as Shu mat material, an even-tearing method for bamboo strips into equilateral triangles, and experiential indicators for steaming and boiling bamboo strips, so that woven articles made from cooked strips are durable and not prone to rot or moth damage. For many years he has persisted in Shu mat weaving, and has participated many times in national- and provincial-level exhibition and demonstration activities. Representative inheritor of Bamboo Weaving (Shu Mats), a national-level intangible cultural heritage project of the fifth batch.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Yu Zhanggen 01-0119
- He Fuli 03-1265
- Song Zengli 03-1266
- Mou Bingheng 03-1267
- Liu Jiafeng 04-1794
- Su Chengjun 05-2640
- Chen Qinghe 05-2641
- Tian Xianmin 05-2642
- Wei Lumian 05-2643
- Tan Sujuan 05-2644
- Chen Yunhua 05-2645
- Zhao Sijin 05-2646
- Ding Zhiyun
- Hu Zhengren
- Lvcheng
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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