China is the first country in the world to use bamboo products. As late as the Shang Dynasty, bamboo carving art had already appeared.
China's bamboo carving art has a long history. Our academic and archaeological circles have always believed that long before the invention of paper, ink, pen and inkstone, the Han ancestors had learned to use knives to carve words on pillars to record events. This most primitive bamboo carving should precede oracle bone inscriptions. This is because oracle bone inscriptions already have the three elements of calligraphy art, and the so-called bamboo carvings of events were initially only engraved with symbols. In ancient times, bamboo did not grow in the Central Plains and northern regions, so animal bones were used to carve them. Bamboo was abundant in the south, so symbols or words were carved on bamboo. But bamboo tubes are difficult to preserve, not as good as animal bones. Therefore, after a long time, we can still see the oracle bone inscriptions from the Yin and Shang Dynasties today, but it is difficult to see the bamboo carvings from that time. But according to records in ancient documents, there is no doubt that the origin of Chinese bamboo carving art appeared long before the Shang Dynasty.
In addition, China has begun to use bamboo to make production and daily utensils in ancient times. Out of the natural love for beauty, decoration on bamboo products is no different from carved jade, stone, bone and wood. Therefore, it is not surprising to find carved bamboo utensils in primitive society sites. However, bamboo is fragile and difficult to preserve to this day.
As a formal work, bamboo carving has been formed in the Western Zhou Dynasty. According to the "Etiquette·Yamao" written by Dai Sheng of the Han Dynasty, some of the fluorene (also known as hand boards) held by the monarchs and ministers in the Western Zhou Dynasty during court meetings were made of bamboo slices. "Any finger painting in front of the king is made of fluorene." , then write it in fluorene." It's just that the official positions are different, and the materials of fluorene are also different. "The emperor uses ball jade, the princes use elephant (ivory), and the officials use fish whisker asparagus, scholar bamboo, and wood elephant." The bamboo held by the scholar-bureaucrats was all made of long and narrow bamboo boards. This kind of bamboo was also engraved with some patterns. Although it could not be said to be a kind of handicraft, it reflected that people in the pre-Qin period had attached great importance to the use of bamboo and could peel it. Make or carve some simple finished products. Bamboo slips appeared almost at the same time as fluorene. During archaeological excavations, many bamboo slips recording texts in this type of language have been found, such as "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, bamboo slips recording medical prescriptions, etc. In addition, bamboo fans, bamboo pen holders, bamboo gun holders, bamboo baskets, bamboo mats, bamboo boxes, etc. are also available.
During the Warring States Period, lacquerware was popular and the art of lacquer carving flourished. A considerable part of the bodies of lacquer ware are made of bamboo chips or bamboo. Influenced by the art of lacquer carving, the production of bamboo ware itself also developed an artistic tendency. The animal hoof-style bamboo lacquer box with lid unearthed in Hubei is the product of this artistic tendency. It is first carved from bamboo into a round box with an animal hoof-like bracket, and then painted. This carved bamboo box is a precious material for us to study the history of bamboo carving today.