COLLECTING GUIDES Japanese bamboo art

Left Tanabe Chikuunsai I (1877-1937). Drumshaped ower basket made from old arrow shafts signed Chikuunsai made this Height 55cm, width 18.5cm, Depth 17.5cm

Below Wada Waichisai III (1899-1975). Flower basket with handle. Signed Made by Waichisai. Susudake (smoked bamboo), free-style plaiting and wrapping. Height 46cm, width 31.5cm, depth 25.5cm e new style sweeping the West marked a signi cant shift in Japanese bamboo art, re ecting the ambition of Chikuunsai and other master bamboo craftsmen to achieve the same degree of recognition already given to ceramic and lacquer artists.

Wada Waichisai I

e Kansai-based bamboo artist Wada Waichisai I (1851–1901), established an equally important and longlasting lineage of masters. He is today recognised as one of the few great Meiji period pioneers of studio bamboo basket art. Highly regarded in his day, he won prestigious national prizes in 1881 and 1885 in the Exhibit for Promotion of Domestic Industry (created by the Meiji government to promote opportunities for foreign trade).

Known for his precise, delicate plaiting techniques, he began by producing simple baskets for everyday purposes, such as carrying fruits and vegetables, but later made sencha-related karamono-style baskets and tea ceremony utensils that came to be in high demand among literati circles.

Waichisai’s numerous disciples included his son, Wada Waichisai II (1877–1933), Yamashita Kōchikusai (1876–1947), and the previously mentioned Tanabe Chikuunsai I (1877–1937), all of whom carried on his tradition of meticulous, delicate plaiting.

Contemporary artform

e Chikuunsai dynasty

Before long, bamboo weaving techniques and styles were passed down established lineages – a long-standing tradition among prominent artists in Japan – with many of the leading bamboo craftsmen founding their own schools, most of which are still active today.

Tanabe Chikuunsai I (1877-1937) was at the head of one of Japan’s most important basket-weaving dynasties including his son Tanabe Chikuunsai II (1910–2000), grandson Chikuunsai III (1940-2014) and great grandson Tanabe Chikuunsai IV (b. 1973) who continues the lineage as the fourth-generation bamboo maker of the family.

Tanabe Chikuunsai I was born in Hyōgo Prefecture, the third son of a local doctor. He was only 24 when his master bestowed upon him the name of Chikuunsai (“Bamboo Cloud”), a name formerly held by Waichisai. Shortly afterwards, he founded his own workshop and became an independent artisan.

Tea master

Chikuunsai’s initiation ceremony as a tea master was attended by hundreds of guests from literati circles, including well-known painters and calligraphers.

He went on to become one of the most prominent leaders of a new generation of bamboo artist-craftsmen who, while producing functional pieces , began to elevate the craft into a new artform.

To that end Chikuunsai developed the Ryūrikyō style of basketry, based on Chinese painting. He presented his work at the in uential Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, held in Paris in 1925, which helped introduce the art deco aesthetic.

In recent decades, the contemporary scene in bamboo art has re ected an even greater diversity in terms of technique and vision, while still re ecting the generations-old artform. Wada Waichisai III (1899 -1975), the grandson of Wada Waichisai I, succeeded to the Waichisai name on his father’s death in 1933.

In WWII, the Japanese government issued restrictions on the production and sale of ‘luxury’ goods and Wada Waichisai III was one of the few artists allowed to continue working. In recent years, Tanabe Chikuunsai IV, who trained in bamboo art at the Occupational School in Beppu, is one of the most talented bamboo artists of his generation. Today’s contemporary artists continue to push the boundaries even further, created staggering works well beyond the functional.

Weaving Techniques

It takes between five and 10 years to gain the basic technical expertise required to weave bamboo, while greater skills can require a lifetime to achieve.

Part of the training requires a deep knowledge of bamboo itself, of which 600 species grow in Japan, including madake, the Japanese timber (or giant) bamboo, with a very straight grain that lends itself to splitting into fine strands for plaiting. In order to gain an understanding of the unique properties of bamboo the apprenticeship requires artists to harvest the plants themselves, closely studying the characteristics of each type and even variations within specific groves.

Above Honma Hideaki (b. 1959). Zanzõ Nami - 1 & 2 (After Image - Wave 1 & 2), 2022. Signed ‘Hide Kurochiku’. Bamboo and rattan. Height 49.5cm, width 101.9cm, depth: 23.5cm

Right Bamboo can grow more than 60cm a day, image Shutterstock

Below left Tanabe Chikuunsai II (19102000). Unryu (Cloud Dragon) c. 1925-1937. Handled basket for owers. Signed Shochikuunsai made this. Susudake (smoked bamboo) and rattan, plaiting, wrapping and bamboo-root handle.

Height 45cm, width 26cm, depth 25.5cm

Below Honma Hideaki (b. 1959). So (Pair), 2008. Bamboo and rattan; twill plaiting and bending. Height 68cm, width 117.2cm, depth 27.4cm

Freshly-cut, green bamboo has to dry for about three months when the oil and sugar content is eventually removed.

Susudake refers to smoked bamboo taken from construction materials of a traditional Japanese house. It is much prized and sought after in Japan.