Chinanews.com, Fuzhou, August 19 (Ye Qiuyun) Take a black-dyed strip, lightly dip it in water, place it horizontally, and press it... As your fingers fly, a bamboo product with a "flower blooms and riches" pattern gradually takes shape . On the 18th, the reporter saw this scene at the home of Chen Jiande, 70-year-old inheritor of bamboo weaving craftsmanship in Fuqing City, Fujian Province.
Chen Jiande displayed the weaving bamboo products. Photo by Ye Qiuyun
Upon entering the house, the semi-finished hand-made bamboo woven fabrics with the words "Flowers blooming wealth and honor" and "Fu Lu Shou Xi" placed on the sofa were eye-catching. Chen Jiande said that in the past few decades, he has innovated and explored the "seal weaving method" and the "skew character weaving method", which can compile calligraphic fonts such as seal script, official script, regular script, running script, cursive script, etc., and turn them into exquisite art. The product is very popular.
In his teens, in order to reduce the burden on his family, Chen Jiande learned bamboo weaving from the master Yi Fu who was known as the “Bamboo Weaving Champion” at the time. Later, he learned the flower basket and pattern weaving method from the Qiyi master.
Chen Jiande is processing bamboo strips for woven bamboo products. Photo by Ye Qiuyun
After contact with bamboo weaving, Chen Jiande fell in love with this craft. In the process of shaking hands with the old man Chen Jiande, the reporter found that the old man's hands were very rough. Upon closer inspection, many scars were left on his fingers and his hands were covered with calluses. Chen Jiande said: "Bamboo strips are often scratched with blood on the arm, and the bamboo strips will pierce or cut the fingers, palms, and backs of hands if they are not careful."
These scars have witnessed his hardship and bitterness in sticking to bamboo weaving craftsmanship for more than 50 years. Before retiring due to illness, Chen Jiande was a teacher at Cendou Central Primary School in Haikou Town, Fuqing City. He picked up chalk to teach in get out of class, and picked up tools to make bamboo weaving after class. This was his normal life before.
A bamboo table cover with house rules and precepts created by Chen Jiande. Photo by Ye Qiuyun
Chen Jiande told reporters that at that time, several people in the family needed to feed, and the salary was not enough. They had to use their spare time to weave various bamboo crafts. To this end, he also asked his wife Zhang Ruiyu, who is also a teacher, to resign and set up a bamboo shop near the school, one responsible for weaving and the other for selling.
From Zhang Ruiyu's ignorance of bamboo weaving skills, to now he can assist Chen Jiande in some rough work. Chen Jiande taught him by hand. "The children are all working overseas, and the two are at home. It's good to make one if you have time." Zhang Ruiyu, 69, smiled and watched his wife make bamboo products.
Chen Jiande is making design drawings with a pencil. Photo by Ye Qiuyun
Wearing a pair of glasses, Chen Jiande sat on the ground with his legs crossed, and a pile of black-stained bamboo strips stood beside him. He skillfully picked up the bamboo strips and fluttered with his fingers. Layers of patterns and patterns appeared on the bottom of the flower basket. Seal script.
After retiring, Chen Jiande had more time to spend on bamboo weaving craftsmanship. Not only did he study it by himself every day, he also often discussed innovative methods of bamboo weaving with his wife. Nowadays, he can weave a variety of calligraphy fonts such as running script and regular script using the "staggered weaving method" and blend them with various patterns to form new patterns.
"Ethics and virtue, careful speech, diligence and frugality..." On the table of Chen Jiande's home, a bamboo table cover with house rules and precepts is amazing. According to his introduction, it took a full year for this work from design to completion, and there are "careful actions" in both the characters and the patterns on the eight corners.
Because the woven works are not only practical, but also enjoyable and artistic, Chen Jiande's works have been collected many times, and orders from Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia and locals continue.
“The skill of bamboo weaving is not difficult in itself, but it must go from coarse to fine, which will test people’s patience.” Chen Jiande said that every time he wanted to make a bamboo product, he would first make a design drawing with a pencil, and then prepare according to the size of the bamboo product. Various bamboo strips, and finally incorporate traditional cultural elements into the work.
Chen Jiande said frankly that he hopes to promote this skill through some platforms so that more young people can like it. "Now that they are getting older, the children have not followed their studies overseas. They want to recruit more patience and perseverance apprentices to pass on this old craft." (End)