Weaving with Bamboos

Why are bamboos used?

It is actually because of the resiliency and light weight of this tall grass that it is widely used as a material for making furnishings, armors, and musical instruments. In fact, bamboos are also utilized in the production and manufacture of daily and industrial wares.

Vases

The clan of the Kagas hired a huge number of craftsmen and gave them relatively high wages for beautifully manufacturing ladles and flower vases for flower arrangements and tea ceremonies. 

After the war, the processes and manufacture of woven bamboos were stopped and replaced with the manufacture of cheap ones that were only made of plastic. But still, the public always wanted something that was natural and made with great quality. This was probably why they always came back to the use and high demand of woven bamboo products. In only a short span of time, woven bamboo items regained its popularity.

Weaving techniques

There were already many techniques for weaving back then. They were merely developed and enhanced by the old-fashioned and modern craftsmen so that they could come up with products that had beautiful finishes and made from very elaborate techniques.

From China

The country of China is known for its abundance in bamboo resources. In fact, this particular country is known for its long history of utilizing bamboos and planting them. Moreover, their ancestors actually started out trying to figure everything they could with bamboo for more than seven thousand years ago. 

Some particular places in China were actually quite popular for the production of some distinctive woven bamboo products, such as Hubei provinces, Shengxian, Dongyang, Jiang’an of Sichuan province, Hunan, and Anji of the Zhejian province.

Based on the records found in the Republic of China which date back to the Qing Dynasty, the Chinese place that was richest in bamboos and its products was Rui’an County. Since there were lots of bamboos, the number of craftsmen in this particular area also greatly increased. Moreover, bamboo craftsmen in the Fujian province and Quanzhou were even referred to as technicians.

Inheriting the craft

The craft and skill of weaving bamboos are now passed on from the master to the apprentice during the process of weaving or fixing the damages on the products. This way, the skill can be inherited from a particular generation to another generation. 

According to some apprentices, it took them three years before they finally and completely learned the craft of weaving bamboo. But of course, those who are brilliant will not need that long time and still be independent in their own field of producing woven bamboo products.

The process

The bamboo craftsman cuts the bamboo into very thin strips that are made of various sizes. Only one section of a bamboo should be cut and then it should be split in lots of vertical halves. The joints of the bamboos should be smoothened and then the halves should be cleaved into further strips.

After this is accomplished, the green scarfskin and the yellow surface found inside should be removed and then cleaved into thinner strips.
