Bamboo Weaving
01 · Historical Records
Sichuan bamboo weaving originated from Han dynasty vessels; after the Qing dynasty began, craftsmen of Bashu began weaving bamboo coverings on tin pots.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Porcelain-bodied bamboo weaving, also called “bamboo thread fastened to porcelain,” is a folk handicraft found within Qionglai City, Sichuan Province. Pingle Town in Qionglai City produces cizhu bamboo in abundance; the bamboo’s nodes are long, usually around 65 centimeters, and it is the principal raw material for porcelain-bodied bamboo weaving. Later, because raw materials for tin pots became scarce, porcelain was adopted as the body instead; the finished products were more beautiful than tin-pot bamboo weaving and were welcomed by people, and this gave rise to porcelain-bodied bamboo weaving. The craft of porcelain-bodied bamboo weaving is intricate. First the bamboo must be selected, its green surface scraped, its nodes broken open, and its color sun-dried into bamboo strips; the strips are then processed into thread through more than a dozen process steps, including material selection, color baking, node sawing, splitting thin, color setting, strip scraping, tip cutting, thread rubbing, even drawing, and dyeing. The bamboo thread is then fastened tightly onto the porcelain body of Jingdezhen white porcelain and woven by a pick-and-press method, which includes the stages of starting the base, turning the bottom, turning the top, and locking the mouth. During weaving, the ends of the thread must not be exposed, and the threads must not be raised or overlapped, so that the warp and weft of the bamboo thread are woven in even proportions over the surface of the white porcelain. Porcelain-bodied bamboo weaving uses fine materials and is highly practical, with extremely broad application in daily life. The bamboo thread of porcelain-bodied bamboo weaving is taken from the cizhu bamboo of the Pingle area of Qionglai; because the local cizhu bamboo has long nodes, the strips split from it follow the grain with few nodes and are not easily broken when drawn into fine thread, making them suitable for weaving tightly against the porcelain surface. When weaving, the bamboo thread must begin at the bottom of the vessel, then be turned over the bottom surface to cover it upward; at the rim, the top is turned and the mouth closed, and finally the mouth is locked in place, so that the bamboo thread wraps the white porcelain seamlessly. Complete sets of porcelain-bodied bamboo weaving are mostly used for objects such as tea ware, wine ware, vases, and stationery.
Archival Record of Working Procedures
The craft of porcelain-bodied bamboo weaving is intricate. First the bamboo must be selected, its green surface scraped, its nodes broken open, and its color sun-dried into bamboo strips; the strips are then processed into thread through more than a dozen process steps, including material selection, color baking, node sawing, splitting thin, color setting, strip scraping, tip cutting, thread rubbing, even drawing, and dyeing. The bamboo thread is then fastened tightly onto the porcelain body of Jingdezhen white porcelain and woven by a pick-and-press method, which includes the stages of starting the base, turning the bottom, turning the top, and locking the mouth.
From tin pots to porcelain bodies
Sichuan weaving began with Han vessels; in the Qing craftsmen wove over tin pots, and when tin grew scarce they turned to porcelain, giving rise to this craft.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Porcelain-bodied bamboo weaving comes in diverse styles full of regional character and is deeply favored by local residents.
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
On the one hand, it can protect the vessel; on the other, it serves a decorative function. With the development of the market economy, the transmission of porcelain-bodied bamboo weaving has become increasingly difficult: its added value is not high, and its technical requirements are very strict, so young people are mostly unwilling to learn it. At present, those who can fully master the entire process of porcelain-bodied bamboo weaving have decreased from the original three or four hundred people to thirty; if it is not rescued and protected in time, porcelain-bodied bamboo weaving will gradually disappear from people’s lives. Porcelain-bodied bamboo weaving wraps the porcelain body closely: on the one hand it cushions against bumps and makes the vessel easier to hold, and on the other the warp-and-weft variations of the bamboo thread form decorative patterns; a single vessel often takes several days or even longer to complete. Because the product’s added value is low while its technical requirements are very strict, young people are mostly unwilling to learn it, and those who can fully master the entire process have decreased from the original three or four hundred people to thirty; if it is not rescued and protected in time, this technique will gradually disappear from people’s lives.
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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