Long-held Qianjiang Bamboo Crafts

Text by Gao Wei Photos by Xiao Hao

“Qianjiang bamboo crafts have a high standard of craftsmanship, ranging from material selection to the weaving process. Umbrella papyrus and giant timber bamboo are the main materials used in its production. These bamboo strips are chipped and scraped many times. It is not until they become equally thin and smooth that they are able to be woven into many products.”

While talking with us, Chen Zhenghe, a nearly 70-year-old craftsman, is busy using bamboo splitters, planes, and scrapers skillfully to hack, narrow, and scrap the bamboo strips.

Qianjiang City in Hubei Province boasts a long history of bamboo weaving, producing numerous items, such as bamboo dustpans, bamboo baskets and bamboo mats, frequently used by the locals at home or at work. The family house, built in the Wanli period (1573-1620) of the Ming Dynasty in China, has stood for about five hundred years and parallels the Chens’ weaving skills.

After finishing the processing, Chen Zhenghe goes upstairs using a wooden ladder, carrying bamboo strips. Lights penetrate through the old-fashioned gray tiles of the attic room that is filled with various bamboo items—including dustpans, sifters, vases, lanterns, creels, lotus wares, and other unique and useful wares. (Translation: Tang Lin)

潜江竹艺五百年

文/高伟 图/萧颢

“潜江篾艺从选料到制成篾条，工艺十分讲究，主要采用水竹和桂竹，反复削刮后，篾条变得宽窄一致，纤细均匀，光滑柔顺，才可以进行编织。”

如是说着，年近七旬的老手艺人陈正和变换操弄着篾刀、刨子、刮刀，劈篾，窄篾，刮篾，招式娴熟，动作利索。反复多次后，竹子在他手中变成篾条。篾条细如发丝，毫不扎手。

Collection of Chen’s bamboo works 家中摆放的部分竹编作品

Chen is weaving thousands of bamboo strips skillfully and neatly at the same time.成百上千根篾条在指尖翻飞，根根不乱。

湖北潜江竹编历史悠久，簸箕、竹篮、竹席等竹编制品是当地百姓常备的劳动和生活用具。陈正和所住祖传老屋，建于明万历年间，有近五百年历史，与陈家篾艺传承历史相当。

加工好后，陈正和抱着篾条，顺着木梯爬上老房阁楼。老式小灰瓦的间隙透着一束束光亮，斜射在阁楼中的竹器上，叠簸、筛子、花瓶、灯笼、鱼篓、连枷……各色竹器摆满阁楼。