Carving elegance

When a bamboo is dried, its outer layer gradually turns from green to light yellow, and then remains unchanged. But the bamboo muscle will change from light yellow first to deep yellow, then to reddish purple with color and luster growing deeper and deeper until they resemble amber’s. When the bamboo muscle is stroked often by hand, it will become smooth and mild. As time goes by, the outer layer and the bamboo muscle differ distinctly in luster and color, and the designs become increasingly clear.

The yellow chip (bamboo muscle) refers to the light yellow inner layer of the bamboo. It is glossy and smooth, like ivory. In the craft of pasting yellow chips, large bamboos from the south are used as material. Fresh yellow chips are boiled, dried in the air, flattened by pressing, and then pasted onto the surface of objects made of various materials. Often wooden articles are used, among which the little Chinese leaf box is fine in texture and similar to bamboo yellow chips in color and luster, is the best choice. Sometimes two or three layers of yellow chips are pasted as required by design so as to make several patterns closely linked up as if wrought through the invisible hand of nature. The technique of pasting yellow chips prevailed in the Qing Dynasty.

Bamboo carvings are suitable for decoration of mansions, restaurants, teahouses, houses and public places to create an atmosphere of peaceful, elegant and unsophisticated style. It's also a great choice for collection and giftware.