Shono Shounsai
Flower Basket, Shimmering of Heated Air, approx. 1969. By Shono Shounsai (1904-1974)
Bamboo (madake), rattan, and copper alloy. Selected techniques: thousand line construction. H. 13 3/4 in x Diam. 14 in.
Lloyd Cotsen Japanese Bamboo Basket Collection, 2006.3.836 (B-1095); catalogue no. 50. Photograph by Kaz Tsuruta.
The pieces I make must have musical qualities, changes in rhythm, a series of climaxes, andan overall harmony. Shono Shounsai
Shono Shounsai was the first bamboo artist who was designated to an important intangible cultural asset, commonly known as a Living National Treasure at the age of 63 in 1967. He enthusiastically pursued his form and did not hesitate to introduce unusual materials for bamboo basket making such as metal. For this particular piece, Shounsai used metal to pin the thinly scraped and rolled up bamboo. Not only the metal, but also plastic is adopted to form a water container to sit well in the basket. The novel use of such materials proves Shounsai's originality.