Bamboo Arts: Artist's Signatures

Abe Motoshi Fujinuma Noboru Hayakawa Shokosai l Hayakawa Shokosai II Hayakawa Shokosai III Hayakawa Shokosai IV Hayakawa Shokosai V Higasi Takesonosai Honda Syoryu Honma Kazuaki Iizuka Shokansai Iizuka Rokansai Kajiwara Aya Kajiwara Koho Katsushiro Soho Kawano Shoko Kibe Seiho Maeda Chikubosai I

Maeda Chikubosai II Minoura Chikuho Monden Kogyoku Nagakura Kenichi Sakaguchi Sounsai Shono Shounsai Shono Tokuzo Suemura Shobun Sugita Jozan Tanabe Chikuunsai I Tanabe Chikuunsai II Tanabe Chikuunsai III Tanioka Shigeo Torii Ippo Wada WaichisaiI Watanabe Shochikusai II Yako Hodo Yamamoto Chikuryusai

Click the artist's name, (once!) and wait for the image to load in the center.

Historically, bamboo was used in every aspect of daily Japanese life. Applications for bamboo included its utility as a construction material, in fencing, fish and animal traps, bows and arrows, fly-fishing rods, farm and garden tools, furniture, various kitchen implements, musical instruments, religious articles and, of course, baskets. At one time there were thousands of bamboo artisans throughout Japan who supplied all these necessary articles. From that pool of talent, a few nineteenth century Japanese bamboo basket makers emerged to create original, indigenous works of art. The first known Japanese bamboo artist who started to sign his work was a son of samurai Hayakawa Keigoro, Hayakawa Shokosai I (1815-1897). Shokosai's groundbreaking stance as an artist led other bamboo artists to begin to value their own creativity.

Signature images: copyright, Lloyd Cotsen. Photographs by Pat Pollard.