It is quite fascinating that the boom of Japanese bamboo baskets began not in Japan, but in America. The bamboo baskets, which were brought over from China along with the tea culture in ancient times, later established themselves as a representative craft in Japan with the spread of Sencha (green tea). The reevaluation of these baskets abroad highlights the power of international exchange and the universal appeal of culture.
The exhibition "Bamboo Masterworks: Japanese Baskets from the Lloyd Cotsen Collection," featuring Japanese bamboo baskets collected by Lloyd Cotsen, was held at six renowned American museums, including the Asia Society in New York, the Field Museum in Chicago, and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, from 1988 to 1989. This exhibition significantly increased interest in bamboo baskets. In recent years, exhibitions of bamboo baskets at the Musée du quai Branly in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York have been immensely popular.
Following the exhibition of Lloyd Cotsen's collection in the U.S., a similar exhibition was held in Japan from 2003 to 2004, which further spread its influence to China and Europe. This phenomenon demonstrates how Japanese craft art has found new value abroad, evolving into a global trend.
At Tortoise General Store, a florist from Tokyo, Kazumi Hirai will hold two workshop with using the bamboo basket. To learn more about it, please click here.
