JAPANESE BAMBOO BASKETS HOLD THEIR CHARM THROUGH THE AGES Art & Antiques October 2001 issue by Dana Micucci JAPANESE BAMBOO BASKETS HOLD THEIR CHARM THROUGH THE AGES Art & Antiques October 2001 issue by Dana Micucci Fig.1 Tide Wave, 1995 a bamboo sculpture by Yamaguchi Ryûun (from Tai Gallery/Textile Arts) THERE is a balance of forces achieved in Japanese bamboo baskets, which are a study in contrasts: intimate yet formal, simple yet complex, both utilitarian and sculptural, traditional and innovative, natural and structured, says Lloyd Cotsen, former CEO of the Neutrogena Corporation, who has assembled the worlds foremost collection of Japanese bamboo baskets, 100 of which are featured in the national touring exhibition Bamboo Masterworks: Japanese Baskets from the Lloyd Cotsen Collection. Fig.2,3 A pot-shaped flower basket by Tanabe Chikuunsai I, in the karamono style with double tortoise shell marks. Detail of the baskets inscribed signature (Chikuunsai on base (below). (from LAsie Exotique). At the heart of every bamboo basket lies the poetic mystery of the material itself. A grass with tree-like qualities, bamboo is hollow yet strong. Adaptable to a variety of weaving techniques, bamboo perhaps has found its highest form of aesthetic expression in the traditional Japanese flower basket (hanakago), which evolved from an ancient craft into a contemporary art form. While bamboo baskets have served various utilitarian functions in Japanese daily life for centuries, they also have been valued for their beauty. They are integrally connected to Japanese culture through the time-honored art of flower arranging (ikebana) and the tea ceremony. By the 6th century, the tea ceremony had evolved from a Chinese tea-drinking custom into a ritualized Japanese art form called chanoyu that was advanced by noted tea master Sen no Rikyû. (For more on Japanese tea ceremony antiques, see The Way of Tea Ceramics, Art & Antiques, October 2000, page 80.) Chanoyu, as practiced by the literati, aristocracy and warrior and merchant classes, incorporated ikebana baskets with fresh-cut flowers as well as ceramics, calligraphy, painting and other arts and crafts that expressed a unified Japanese aesthetic rooted in simplicity, humble natural materials and imperfect beauty.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 00:40:01 +0000
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