Antique Japanese Bamboo Flower Tray

There are over 600 species of bamboo growing on the islands on Japan. A favorite subject for Japanese painters and poets, the bamboo plant is one of the traditional Three Friends of Winter, along with the plum and pine. Symbols of perseverance and resilience, the evergreen pine and bamboo survive the cold and the plum is the first flower of spring. For centuries, Japanese weavers have used bamboo to create intricately-woven baskets for flowers. In recent decades, the practice of Japanese bamboo art has received worldwide recognition as a traditional art form and its master artisans have been designated Living National Treasures. This tray was shown as part of an extraordinary collection of vintage and antique handmade Japanese bamboo flower baskets, vases and carriers exhibited at the Conran Shop Daikanyama Gallery in March 2024.