Skip to content

Bamboo Carving of China
中国竹刻

March 18 – May 29, 1983

Bamboo serves humans in a multitude of ways: young shoots are eaten as food, canes are used for building and transport, leaves for wrapping, pulp for paper, and decorative objects are fashioned from stems and roots. The plant—which is a grass–is also appreciated for its beauty, endurance, and fragrance, and is considered a symbol of tenaciousness and moral integrity. Along with the plum tree, orchid, and chrysanthemum, bamboo is considered one of the “Four Gentlemen” by Chinese scholars. Since ancient times, the Chinese made bamboo implements for production and utensils for daily use. In the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), bamboo carving was elevated from a craft to a specialized art by talented scholars and evolved into a popular art form. This exhibition brought together eighty-six carved bamboo objects from the Ming dynasty to the present, including brush holders, perfume holders, wrist rests, sculptures, brushes, boxes, and fans. The innovative installation, designed by co-curator and China Institute president Wan-go Weng, suggested a Suzhou garden, with showcases framed in white cutouts that referenced scholars’ objects.

• The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri, July 24–September 11, 1983
• Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, October 3, 1983–January 15, 1984

Media Coverage

  • Rita Reif, “Antiques View: The Lure And Lore Of Bamboo,” The New York Times, May 8, 1983.

    “Chinese bamboo craftsmen, from the 16th century on, enriched scholars’ desks with sculptures, writing tools, brush holders, wrist rests and other objects. Some excellent examples survive, as can be seen in ‘’Bamboo Carving of China,’’ an exhibition of 85 selections at China House Gallery… The show is believed to be the first in this country devoted to the craft.”
    “Exhibitions mounted by the China Institute in its tiny gallery have always been admired for their consummate sophistication both in subject matter and presentation.”

Donate Now Subscribe