Japanese bamboo weaving

Although defined as a subfamily of grasses, bamboo is characterized by its woody culm and a root system that can form either thick, slowly spreading clusters or more aggressive runners.

Bamboo has characteristics which, over time, have led to its frequent usage in Japanese culture and the development of symbolism associated with its qualities.

Along with evergreen pine trees and plum blossoms – the first flower of spring – bamboo is a part of the traditional Three Friends of Winter motif, commonly seen on kimono worn for auspicious occasions as a symbol of perseverance and resilience.

Japanese artists have often represented bamboo enduring inclement weather, such as rain or snow, reflecting its reputation for being flexible but unbreakable, and its association with steadfastness and loyalty.

[2][3] It was the 16th century tea master Sen no Rikyū (1522–1591) who advocated for a simple, austere wabi-cha style with natural and spontaneous or seemingly artless utensils.

[6] Most of the master artisans designated Living National Treasures are selected from among participants in the annual Japan Kōgei Association exhibitions.

[1] As is similar in other Japanese crafts, the acquisition of knowledge usually involved a lengthy apprenticeship with the master of the workshop,[12] often the father of the young disciple, in a system called shitei (師弟).

Learning the basic skills and techniques generally takes five to ten years, but mastering them and developing an individual style can require decades.

In more recent times, this method of apprenticeship has changed and is no longer typical or common, with students of bamboo weaving instead learning basic skills in technical schools, such as the centre in Ōita, before later going to a master.

[1] The pioneering Kansai bamboo artist Hayakawa Shōkosai I (早川尚古斎, 1815–1897), is believed to be the first master to have signed his baskets,[2][16] studied the traditional craft of rattan plaiting, and concentrated on sencha tea utensils.

He was succeeded by his younger brother, Shōkosai III (1864–1922), who developed an advanced style of plaiting called "coarse weave", a departure from the family's signature techniques.

[17] Shōkōsai V (1932–2011) explored further possibilities in armor plaiting, a type of parallel construction considered one of the traditional Hayakawa techniques.

[20] He was known for his precise, delicate plaiting techniques, making primarily karamono (Chinese-style) baskets and utensils for the sencha tea ceremony.

Chikuunsai made ryūrikyō baskets explicitly for exhibition, a trend that marked a significant shift in Japanese bamboo art, reflecting the ambition of master craftsmen to achieve the same degree of recognition already accorded contemporary ceramic and lacquer artists.

1973)[23] has carried on the family tradition while also experimenting with monumental sculpture and organic installation works, such as the almost 6-metre (20 ft) high Godai at the Musée Guimet in 2016,[24] or with The Gate in 2017 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

[25][26][27] Another disciple of Wada Waichisai I was Yamamoto Chikuryūsai I (初代山本竹龍斎, 1868–1945), who received awards at the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, the 1933 Century of Progress fair in Chicago, and the 1937 Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne in Paris.

He began his career producing karamono and literati baskets, but then developed a unique method of using natural bamboo branches and roots to achieve a more rustic effect.

[29] Chikubōsai II (1917–2003) produced both sencha baskets and modern vessels made from round strips of bent-and-gathered bamboo.

[1][3] Beginning in the Taishō period, both Tanabe Chikuunsai I and Maeda Chikubōsai I incorporated antique arrows into their work, which was particularly appreciated by clients who were descended from samurai.

[30] He was followed by his on Maeda Chikubōsai II (二代前田竹房斎, 1917–2003), whose works were shown at the Nitten and who in 1995 was awarded by the government as the third bamboo artist to be named a Living National Treasure.

[42][43][44] Japanese bamboo art in the eastern region of Kantō around Tokyo underwent a process of modernization during the first half of the 20th century.

[62][63] Hōsai was one of the seventeen founding members of the Japan Bamboo Artists Association in 1955, along with Kosuge Shōchikudo and Iizuka Shōkansai.

He further developed Iizuka Shōkansai's idea of two-dimensional, framed bamboo works called "plaited paintings" and received two Special Recognition Awards (Tokusen) at the Nitten, one in 1983.

[83] Torii Ippō (鳥居一峯) (1930–2011),[84][85] born in Nishio, Aichi,[86] had to continue his family's bamboo business at the age of 21 after his father passed away.

Inspired by this piece, he eventually submitted works to the Japanese Modern Art & Craft exhibitions and received a Special Recognition Award (Tokusen) at the 2006 Nitten.

1940), originally based in Niigata Prefecture, studied under Nakajima Hoso, Nakamura Yukosai, and Baba Shōdō (1925–1996),[89] who encouraged him to explore contemporary sculpture.

1942),[102][103] his son and heir to the family tradition, typically uses leached bamboo split into wide strips and combines parallel construction with plaiting to achieve a textural, multilayered effect.

[104][1][105] Iwao Kōunsai (1901–1992) established a lineage that included Kadota Nikō (門田二篁) (1907–1994),[106] who applied characteristic Kyūshū techniques,[104] and Honda Shōryū (本田聖流) (b.