In Chinese traditional culture, bamboo (zhu 竹) symbolizes many virtues of a scholar including honesty, humility and loyalty. It bends in a storm but does not break, symbolizing integrity and endurance.

Bamboo plantation along a foot path in the Chinese Garden of Friendship, Sydney
Bamboo plantation in Botanical Garden, Sydney

In Chinese culture, the willow (柳) has a number of symbolic meanings: It is associated with spring and rebirth. Its pliability suggests humility and flexibility. It is also associated with friendship, because of its intertwining branches, and also with parting from friends. Breaking willow branches and giving them to one and other is a way to farewell friends (離別時折柳相贈). In other culture, however, the weeping willow is a symbol of grief and mourning.

Weeping willow tree by the side of the pond in Botanical Garden, Sydney
Weeping willow tree by the side of the pond in Chinese Garden of Friendship, Sydney

 

Good information about  bamboo and willow painting can be found in Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden (芥子園畫傳).

Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden (芥子園畫傳 Jieziyuan Huazhuan) is a printed manual of Chinese painting compiled during the early-Qing Dynasty. The work was commissioned by Shen Xinyou (沈心友), whose mansion in Lanxi, Zhejiang province 浙江蘭溪 was known as Jieziyuan (芥子園), or Mustard Seed Garden. Shen possessed the teaching materials of Li Liufang (李流芳), a painter of the late-Ming Dynasty and commissioned Wáng Gài (王概), Wáng Shī (王蓍), Wáng Niè (王臬), and Zhū Shēng (諸升) to edit and expand those materials with the aim of producing a manual for landscape painting. The result was the first part of Jieziyuan Huazhuan, published in 1679, in five colours.

Bamboo and Willow tree Paintings by Mr IP Chit Hoo 松盦竹柳樹法

(1) Drooping bamboo 垂竹, 白文方印: 松庵,  ink on paper, 24 cm x 33 cm
(2) Bamboo in wind 風竹, 白文方印: 松庵, ink on paper, 24 cm x 33 cm
(3) Bamboo in rain 雨竹, 白文方印: 松庵, ink on paper, 24 cm x 33 cm
(4) Bamboo in mist 霧竹, 白文方印: 松庵; 朱文長方印: 培風画苑, ink on paper, 24 cm x 33 cm
(5) Bamboo in snow 雪竹, 白文方印: 松庵; 朱文長方印: 培風画苑, ink on paper, 24 cm x 33 cm
(6) Distant bamboo 遠竹, 白文方印: 松庵; 朱文長方印: 培風画苑, ink on paper, 24 cm x 33 cm
(7) Recluse in bamboo valley 竹谿幽居圖。戊辰初冬於香江培風画苑，松盦。白文方印: 松庵; 朱文長方印: 培風画苑, 松盦。白文方印: 松庵; 朱文長方印: 培風画苑, ink on paper, 24 cm x 33 cm
(8) Weeping willow 垂柳, 長文長方印: 培風画苑，Spring Willow 春柳, 白文方印: 松庵, ink on paper, 24 cm x 33 cm
(9) Clouded weeping willow 密柳, 白文方印: 松庵; 朱文長方印: 培風画苑, ink on paper, 24 cm x 33 cm
(10) Willow in wind 風柳, 朱文長方印; 培風画苑; 白文方印, ink on paper, 24 cm x 33 cm
(11) Summer willow 夏柳, 白文方印: 松庵; 朱文長方印: 培風画苑, ink on paper, 24 cm x 33 cm
(12) Willow tree with individual leaf drawn in outline 鈎葉柳樹法。戊辰初冬於香江旅次為燿漢仁棣属画竹柳樹法。笫一單元七幀乃竹樹畫法，第二單元五幀屬柳樹画法。松盦。
朱文長方印: 培風画苑; 白文方印: 松庵, ink on paper, 24 cm x 33 cm
Album cover, inscriptions : 松盦竹柳樹法 。戊辰初冬，喆翁，朱文方印: 喆翁

 

For more information about bamboo paintings, please click the following webpage.

https://patricksiu.org/bamboo-painting

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the late Mr Ip for his teaching. His dedication to Chinese painting and his generosity are always remembered. I would also like to thank Maria, Mr Ip’s daughter for her consistent support and encouragement.

Bibliography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salix_babylonica

張光賓 (1981) 中國書畫 3 花竹畫 光復書局

Li Yun-Ho (1974) Painting and Calligraphy of Li Yen-Shan, Oriental Culture Publishers, H.K.

Mai-mai Sze (1978) The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting, Princeton University Press

(明) 胡正言 (2014) 十竹齋書畫譜 上海書畫出版社 ISBN 978-7-5479-0838-9